Shin Megami Tensei Persona 3: RES
by heat3000
Summary: RES, for Resurrection. FES AU. After the Class of 2011 Graduation Ceremony, a terrorist attack on Tokyo puts S.E.E.S. back in action, but what happens when the terrorists know more about S.E.E.S. and the Dark Hour than they think? COMPLETE
1. Prologue

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any of the characters in this fic. They all belong to Atlus, which is busy making Persona 4.

**Prologue**:

_You're late. I've been waiting a long time for You._

It was ten o'clock in the evening. The moon, covered by a thick sheet of black clouds, began to appear out of the darkness and shine its light upon the city. A nearby electronics shop had several televisions in the window for display, mostly tuned into the evening news.

"The Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare has concluded in a year-long study, that Apathy Syndrome has finally disappeared, and will likely not surface again. The cause of the mysterious illness is not known, and probably never will be, as the MHLW is officially closing the investigative chapter of the study. Professor Shirakawa is here with us tonight to discuss the ramifications of the…"

Lights go off around the city, including the electronics shop. The evening news was halted that night. Small clatter could be heard in the distance, but not from the traffic. If one discounted the shocked gasps coming from the citizens of Iwatodai that night, you could have heard small howling coming from the shrine…

_The Next Morning_

"And now let us give a round of applause for this year's class president, from class 3-D, Yukari Takeba," a short, round man declared as he exited the stage of Gekkoukan High School's auditorium. He held his arm out for the beautiful senior to take the stage from him, and she waited until the audience quieted down until she began to speak.

"Thank you all so much for your courtesy. It fills me with pride and joy to speak to you like this today…"

She wore a pink cardigan over a white dress shirt, and an extremely small, yet not revealing, black skirt. She was the class president of this year's graduating senior class, and while she _was_ the prettiest, most popular student in the school, that didn't stop Junpei from talking…

"So I says to 'em, 'go on in', and what d'ya know? It's the woman's bath! Oh man, you should've seen his face, or should I say, _her_ face," he pointed sneakily at Takeba. She noticed Stupei talking but decided not to make a scene out of it.

"No way!" snickered Kenji Tomochika, who pointed again at Yukari.

"Yeah, totally! It seriously happened, I'm not lying. Scouts' honor!" Junpei exclaimed, putting his hand over his heart. Of course he wasn't exactly a _scout_, but he _had_ fought demons last year and won, so that must have counted.

"Hey, quiet down you two!" shouted a teacher, and they both shut their faces quickly. They agreed to talk more after graduation was done.

"That is why I must say thank you to all my friends and classmates that have supported us in the last three years. So, thank you," Yukari quickly bowed, then walked elegantly off the stage, to much applause, of course.

As soon as the rest of the faculty had finished taking their turn at addressing the students, what was left of S.E.E.S. met outside. Junpei brought along Kenji, for good measure.

"Thanks for talking during my speech, _Stupei_."

"Hey! Do you have to call me that? How about we kiss and make up?"

"Ew!"

"Hey, you guys, stop!" yelled Fuuka as loud as she could, which still wasn't quite loud.

"Oh, sorry, Fuuka." Said Yukari, "so, what do you guys say to some karaoke in celebration of our graduation?" she asked, to the unanimous praise of everyone else. Kenji silently elbowed Junpei to give the impression of 'let's pick up some fine _college chicks_ at the karaoke bar,' and the two "men" snickered about their "mature" plans all the way to Paulownia.

Fuuka and Yukari had idle small chat on their way to the karaoke bar. Things along the lines of, "I like your dress" or "how's your cooking going?"

Junpei and Kenji, made idle chatter, too. Things along the lines of, "Did Ms. Toriumi get bigger?" or "Yukari looked really cute today."

This was the time they were celebrating. When all worries escaped them for this one day, and indeed, when they got to the karaoke bar, things did seem that way. A small television set in the corner of the bar was playing a baseball game, while Yukari and Fuuka rocked it out to the tunes of _Kimi no Kioku_ or _Burn My Dread_.

"So, who do you think will win this game, eh Kenji? I think the Swallows will beat the Giants today."

"The Giants? Defeated? Junpei, you really are _Stupei_," Kenji laughed.

"Hey!"

Soon, the baseball game was cut off short, as a special news bulletin was announced.

"Hey, what giv-"

"_We interrupt today's baseball game between the Tokyo Giants and the Tokyo Swallows with an extremely important announcement from the Ministry of Justice. Today, at exactly 1:41 PM, _

_Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested a terrorist suspected of attempting to blow up Tokyo Tower. This comes from an extremely reliable source within the Ministry of Justice, and has been confirmed by eyewitnesses. The terrorist was described as a follower of a doomsday cult that died off early last year. He was planning on carrying out a suicide mission while leaving a note outside the tower. The note reads "Nyx is dead. Nyx is dead. Beware the Reaper. Beware the Reaper."_

"_Authorities have no clue what the message means right now, however, police say that today's attempted bombing is somehow related to the incident last week in the city of Iwatodai. We will give you more information as it comes in."_

Kenji sat there puzzled. Wondering, like most citizens, why some cultist would want to blow himself up in the middle of Japan. And what did that message even mean?

Junpei, however, knew the answer. And so did the girls, whose singing had suddenly gone way off pitch. Junpei pulled Yukari off to the side by her arm, Fuuka followed.

"Did you just hear that?" asked Junpei, a slightly frightened look on his face.

"Yeah, I did." Replied Yukari, "Fuuka?"

"Yes?"

"We're going back to the dorm, when we get there, do you think you can analyze the city to detect any threats?"

"I-I can try, but, Yukari-chan.."

"Good, we're leaving…_now_."

They left karaoke bar, and Kenji, in a hurried daze. Terrorism had been on the rise recently in Japan, but this was the first real lead the police had into the matter, and, of course, it was just up the S.E.E.S. alley of paranormal, psychologically screwed up situations.

When they got back to the dorm, they found two familiar faces. Well, three, actually, if you counted Koromaru;. Mitsuru and Akihiko had returned from university upon hearing the news. Even though the dorm was set to be closed down after today, Mitsuru had the contract renewed for another month after today's events.

"I'm guessing you saw the news?" asked Yukari, when she spotted the two university sophomores.

"We came as fast as we could, but it takes a while to reach Iwatodai from Tokyo. I was thinking of doing a scene analysis, but there were too many police. Fuuka, I trust your skills haven't diminished?" asked Mitsuru.

"No! Absolutely not, senpai!"

"Good, we're going to need you tonight. For the next few nights, actually. Yukari, I'm relieving you of your position as interim S.E.E.S. leader and assuming my old position."

"Y-yes."

Mitsuru, back in her position of authority, quickly began barking orders, "okay, we're going on lockdown from now until Spring Break. As soon as another attack happens, I want you, Fuuka, to analyze what happened immediately after. I want to know who did it, and what they're after, and _especially_ what they have to do with Nyx!"

"Y-yes." Fuuka was trembling, less from fear than the immense responsibility placed upon her now.

"Akihiko, I want you to go over the old cultist material from last year. Junpei…walk Koromaru."

"Oh, come on!" replied Junpei. It was true he wasn't the most reliable or responsible in the group, but he wanted to help just as much as anyone else.

"Okay, Iori, then review the data we have on our battle with Nyx, I should have gotten at least a few seconds off of it. Come on, hurry! We have two weeks to respond to thia!"

…

And two weeks passed. Two weeks, without a single terrorist incident. It was almost as if the terrorists knew that they were being watched. Not only by the police, but by S.E.E.S. Nothing came up, not from Fuuka's analysis or wire-tappings, not from Junpei's studies or from Akihiko's record digging. Nothing.

Finally, on the last day of their formal observations, _it_ happened.

"_On the next episode of Phoenix Feather man R! Episode 109, Humpdy Dumpdy. Don't fall down the stairs, kids!_

_And now, the news. _

_Good evening, today, at approximately 1:30 PM, there was another terrorist incident in Tokyo. This time, a terrorist managed to smuggle a bomb onto a ferry boat crossing Tokyo Bay. Although bomb-sniffing dogs managed to locate the bomb in time, and the bomb squad members did defuse it, the terrorist was still able to make his escape. Passengers were subsequently evacuated and searched. One article of interest among the police team that was conducting the search was a laptop that was abandoned underneath a bench on the top deck of the ferry. Police say that, upon preliminary analysis, the data inside the laptop seems to belong to the terrorists, with numerous references to the 'Nyx' and 'Reaper' referred to in the note from the Tokyo Tower bomber."_

"_Although they are unwilling to provide us with copies of the materials confiscated today, the police have allowed the press to take photographs of the laptop, as it has a very peculiar emblem on its front. Any citizens with any information regarding this emblem, should immediately contact their local police department."_

And there it was. As the gang huddled around the television for their evening news, every jaw in the room dropped. Fury, shock, and fear instantly filled each of their hearts.

Emblazoned in perfect crimson red, on the front of an expensive silver laptop was the following:

"_S.E.E.S. – SPECIALIZED EXTRACURRICULAR EXECUTION SQUAD"_

"But that- that can't…"


	2. Opening Act

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They are owned by Atlus, which is currently off making tons of money that I will never have, but it's okay, 'cuz it used to be my money before I bought FES.

**Book I: Rules of Engagement**

**Chapter I: Wanted Men**

_i drew something in the sand for u_…

"_The very _name_ of this organization tells us of their violent principles. Who exactly are they going to execute? Why are they special in this regard? Why extracurricular? Is execution merely another form of terrorism this organization perpetrates?..."_

"_The terror organization, which calls itself the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, has been thwarted in their second attempted bombing in Tokyo in the last three weeks…"_

"_Apparently, uh, we have a dangerous, extremely religious terror cell on our hands that is operating within Japan's national boundaries. Now, we don't know what their objective is yet, but…"_

"_But are you defending them!? May I remind you, good sir, that no matter how much faith these….these monsters have, they tried to kill hundreds of innocent civilians, including many children, on not one, but two occasions. It was only a good thing that their previous actions in the city of Iwatodai…"_

As Ken flipped through the channels, he rolled his head from side to side, occasionally glancing at Koromaru every few channels.

He sighed, "Koromaru, there's nothing on TV but these stupid reports thinking S.E.E.S. is some terror group."

"You can't really blame them," responded Mitsuru, "I mean, after all, it was _our_ laptop that the terrorists were working with." She said this with a heavy head, though. Something like this meant that there was a severe security breach at S.E.E.S. Not that it surprised her, really. For most of its existence, S.E.E.S. was run by a megamaniacal maniac who wanted to bring about the End of the World. Nevertheless, if it had data on their battle with Nyx, then the laptop must have been stolen from the dorm recently.

"It's just that…" Mitsuru hung her head, "it's just that I can't help but wondering why this is happening. Everybody forgot their memories from that day except for us, and even we lost our memories from quite a while, too."

"Mitsuru-senpai?" asked Ken.

"Hm?"

"Do you think…do you think we did the right thing? Defeating Nyx and all? I mean, just look at how society was back then, and how it is now. There's no difference!"

"It's like I said back then, Ken. We did what we did to save the world. Not for personal fame or glory, and certainly not so we could reform society. We did what we did so society could reform itself."

"Yeah, but-"

The door to the dorm opened, letting in a small gust of wind and two extremely exhausted males carrying several heavy looking bags. Yukari followed in soon after.

"What happened to you two?" asked Mitsuru.

"Yu-Yukari…shopping mall…wouldn't stop.," Junpei managed to make out before he collapsed. Akihiko began breathing rapidly, hoping that this would be good training for him.

"Wow, Yukari, what did you buy?" asked a startled Ken, amazed at how easily Junpei had fainted.

"Oh, you know, shirt A, skirt B…" Mitsuru threw a death glare at her, causing Yukari to draw back.

"Okay, that was a bad joke. Don't worry, I didn't use the Kirijo credit card on anything more than emergency supplies."

"Emergency…supplies? Yukari, our basement already has…"

Mitsuru couldn't even finish her first sentence before she was cut off.

"No, I mean _supplies_," she took a bag from Junpei's innate body and rummaged around in it until she found an item of interest. "You see here, it was all the surviving records we could find from December 1, 2009, to January 30, 2010. _And_ we picked up sushi!" she held out a small bag that Akihiko was carrying by a single finger.

"Hm. Not bad, Takeba. Akihiko, take a break, for now, we have to analyze our current situation."

"Our current situation," Junpei managed to cry out from the floor, "is that we're wanted by the police, we don't have effective leadership, and to top it all off, Yuka-tan is torturing me!" he yelled, and the lounge exploded with remarks from all sides.

"Effective leadership!? We have that!" Mitsuru was quick to yell out of her own defense.

"Stupei, don't make such dumb comments. The police aren't looking for _us_ in particular," she tried to play it off as the cool girl once again, but Junpei got angry at her.

"You see that!" he suddenly got up off the floor, went over to the TV and pointed at the latest news program, where they were showing the S.E.E.S. emblem again.

"Tell me we're not wanted by _anyone_…oh, oh man. He picked a terrible time to die."

"Junpei!" Mitsuru yelled, and Yukari ran up to Junpei and slapped him as hard as she could across the face.

"I-I," was all Yukari could mutter out…

_One Year Earlier_

"_Yeah, let's go find him – and Aigis, too!" Yukari announced, with all the members of S.E.E.S. going up to the rooftop where they had all promised to meet after their battle with Nyx. On the rooftop, one could see the bright, blue sky against the clean and shining city of Iwatodai. The windmills in the bay only added to this beauty._

_He had his head rested on Aigis's lap, and they both smiled intensely when they saw their comrades make it to the promised day._

"_Minato! Aigis!" yelled Yukari, who threw herself on Minato as soon as he had stood up, to the chagrin and laughter of everyone else._

"_We should all go sing karaoke, in celebration of Mitsuru and Akihiko-senpai's graduation!" said Ken, but Junpei had other plans in mind._

"_And _since_ it's their graduation, they won't be in S.E.E.S. anymore, so let's send 'em off well, all in favor of going to Hagakure, Mitsuru's treat!?"_

_A startled Mitsuru almost scolded Junpei for his rashness, but when all members of S.E.E.S. had raised they hands, and in the case of Koromaru, his paw, she relented._

"_Alright, Hagakure it is, I guess I can pay in cash for you all."_

"_Yay!" shouted Junpei, who simply left them all up on the roof and jolted down the stairs._

"_Thanks for this, Mitsuru-senpai," said Yukari. She just smiled. And they all followed Junpei down the stairs. Yukari snuggled onto Minato's arm until the station, while Aigis followed them all from a distance, apparently venting her jealousy of Takeba right now. Akihiko and Mitsuru led the way, with Ken, Fuuka, and Junpei following in the middle._

"_I can't believe we're in university already, huh?" asked Akihiko._

"_Yeah, time went by fast, of course, it wasn't _all_ dominated by shadows you know." Mitsuru said, with the lightest squeeze of his hand so the others following wouldn't notice._

"_Yeah, heh." Akihiko pushed open the door of Hagakure and proudly announced twenty specials, Mitsuru instantly released his hand and knocked him on his side._

"_Sorry, just eight specials, please," she looked down at Akihiko, who was holding his nose, "what are you trying to do, bankrupt me?"_

_When she got no response out of Akihiko, she looked around her to find what could be grapping his attention, before she noticed where his eyes were going…_

_Inside Hagakure was nice enough. Minato and Junpei had decided to go into an eating contest, and Akihiko was unconscious for the rest of the night. Koro-chan was forced to eat outside, so Ken and Fuuka were keeping him company; while Aigis and Yukari were having a heated argument over who was better suited to take care of Minato. He just happened to overhear, and, being the charming, courageous academician he was, tried to console both of them._

"_Ladies, ladies. Settle down, there's more than enough of me to go arou-huh. Oh-Hurgh!" he gripped his chest, before screaming out in pain while gripping his head._

"_Oh my-Call an ambulance!"_

"_Done!" shouted Yukari, while Minato continued to scream and yell…Yukari felt as if…_

"I loved him," she told Junpei flatly, before the entire lounge had gone silent.

"I'm sorry…it's just…I was thinking we need him right now," Junpei said silently.

"It's not just him, we're all a part of this, and we need everyone we can to make a difference!" said Fuuka.

Startled faces filled the room, especially Yukari's.

"Fuuka…"

"Did I – Did I say something wrong?" replied Fuuka, worried she might have offended Yukari.

"Hell no. We're all in this together, so let's find out what's really going on, for him!" said Junpei.

"Hey, don't forget Shinjiro, too!" added Akihiko, who had managed to break free of the bags Yukari had made him carry.

"Yes. For all of them, now, all we need to do is find a contact within the police department. Luckily, I know just the man…"

Yukari began to reply, "right, Officer – "

But before she could finish, there was a loud banging on the door of the dorm.

"Open up! This is the police!"


	3. Castle of Iwatodai

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

**Chapter II: Castle of Iwatodai**

_What I DO know is…you're my friend_

"_That_! That was fucked up," sighed Junpei, who was sitting on the couch with an icepack over his head.

"Heh, did I scare you guys, I'm sorry about that."

The local police department had received a tip from an anonymous source that the inhabitants of the dorm might have information about S.E.E.S. At this, they dispatched the nearest patrol unit to go and question those at the dorm. As fate would have it, the nearest patrol unit, was Officer Kurosawa.

"_Please_, don't do that again Kurosawa-san," said Fuuka, who looked visibly flustered.

"What I want to know is, why did you guys all jump when the police were at your door? I know S.E.E.S. has nothing to do with these terrorist attacks, but I have to know what you know if you guys want me to help you."

"We're in the dark, too. None of our intelligence gathering has given us any good information regarding the terrorists or how they know about us," said Mitsuru, who had come back from the kitchen, getting everyone tea and water.

"Thanks for the tea," Kurosawa took a sip, before continuing, "so, you're telling me that after you guys saved the world, you can't find any information on these guys?"

"It's not as simple as tapping phone lines or scanning people's thoughts, these people have some of our advanced equipment with them. That means they know how we operate and also how to defend against us," she put the rest of the drinks down before continuing.

"You have to understand, Officer Kurosawa, that that laptop represents a severe breach of security. The police said that all the files on it were unencrypted, correct?"

"Yes, but what does that have to –"

"Because. It was assumed that security here at S.E.E.S. was too tight, so we never encrypted any of our electronic data. As a result, any records on that laptop could be read and accessed by anyone."

"And?"

"And that means that the terrorists now have files on everything in S.E.E.S. Everything from the data from our battles all the way down to our personal membership records. It gives them a detailed report on what our capabilities are. It also gives them a detailed report on how to resist mind analysis and how to detect electronic tapping and jamming."

"Why would you have files like _that_ on your computers?"

"Because at the time, a rival organization, Strega, was using the same methods we were using. Oh, God damn it! Strega…if it weren't for them we would've caught these guys by the time of the first bombing."

Silence filled the room after that, as Officer Kurosawa silently pieced together the information. The members of S.E.E.S. were simply not in a mood to talk. Outside, the flashing lights from Officer Kurosawa's patrol car could be seen through the blind-shades. If one listened closely enough, you could hear the sound of various people outside gathering around the dorm.

"Okay, I think I can help you…lower your blood pressure. I won't do a joke like that again, I'm sorry."

"Y'know Kurosawa-san, I think you and Ikutsuki hung out too much. His jokes were lame, your jokes are lame, _and_…um, Yuka-tan, what's another word for 'stupid'"

"You, maybe?" she replied dryly.

"Hey!"

"Okay everyone, seriously this time, if any one of you is good with computers, we can use that supercomputer in your command room to hack into the National Police Agency's database using my username."

"What would that do?" asked Mitsuru.

"We would be able to locate that anonymous tipster that told the police about this place, of course I wouldn't be able to confront him, and neither will you, I still have to enforce the law, you know. But, you would be able to narrow your investigations down."

"It sounds like it's worth a try," said Fuuka, "but the problem is…"

"The problem is, Officer Kurosawa, that the dorm was supposed to close down today," said Mitsuru.

"Yes, and?"

"All of our equipment and records, with the exception of anything that was to be destroyed, were relocated."

"Okay, well, find where they are and I'll simply provide you with my username and password."

"It's…well, I don't know how to explain this, but-"

Mitsuru was cut off abruptly by Akihiko, who was impatient with the pace of the meeting.

"What she's trying to say is that all of our equipment is buried two miles underground in S.E.E.S. headquarters at Yakushima. Guarded by a virtual _army_ of attack androids. The only way to pacify them is to provide a neural security code, and, as our great luck would have it, the only one with that security code ran away!" he was seething now as the full force of their predicament finally hit him.

"Don't tell me-"

Yukari spoke up this time, eager to tell the story from her point of view, "Aigis was the only one provided with the security code. It was this way because she was immune to a persona analysis, and, as a robot, it was assumed that she would be programmed to stay with S.E.E.S. forever. But, assumptions go a long way."

"So you're telling me that you don't have any reliable information on the terrorists, you can't get any reliable information on the terrorists, and the only person who _can_, is no longer with you?" he asked, trying his best not to just get up and leave.

"She's out there somewhere, but with Ikutsuki dead, we have no way of tracking her," said Akihiko, grabbing an icepack from the table and sitting down next to Junpei.

"On the bright side, this dorm has enough emergency supplies and equipment to be used as a temporary S.E.E.S. headquarters for about one month. One the down side, we've already used up two-thirds of those supplies, and none of the equipment here is as powerful as the stuff we have in Yakushima."

"_Unit Two-Four-Seven, this is command, report in. You are not responding to vehicle transmissions_," the radio on Kurosawa's shoulder burst to life all of a sudden.

"Roger command, unit two-four-seven reporting in. I'm currently investigating tip number M-A-7-7-0"

"_Preliminary analysis?"_

"They don't know anything about S.E.E.S."

The various members of the organization were dead silent, waiting in apprehension for the next transmission.

"_Roger that, unit two-four-seven. We have a noise disturbance reported on Shirakawa Boulevard, you are the closest unit to make the intercept."_

"Roger that command, unit two-four-seven heading to Shirakawa Boulevard now, will report in upon arrival."

"_Roger unit two-four-seven. Command, out._"

Officer Kurosawa merely looked at S.E.E.S. apologetically.

"Look guys, I'm sorry, but I have to take this, it's a part of my job, just helping stop these terrorists is yours. I'll give you guys any information I find on the National Police Network. Ms. Kirijo, you know my e-mail address, just contact me if you guys need anything from the police. You guys stay outta' trouble now, you hear me?"

"Yes, Officer Kurosawa!" piped up Fuuka, who was apparently over the sick joke he had played on them earlier that night.

"Good, now, I heard some no good mongrels congregating outside your dorm earlier, let me go take care of them for you before I leave," Kurosawa smiled at them, before opening the door and using his nightstick to clear a path to his patrol car.

_Two kilometers away_

"I see Operation Valkyrie is going as planned?"asked one voice from the shadows. It was a pitch black room, the only light coming from the cigarettes of those in attendance.

Another voice spoke up, darker than the previous voice, yet more…charismatic. "No. Operation Valkyrie is accomplished. It is time to launch Operation Odin. Commander?"

A light-hearted, yet sinister voice spoke up. The light from the cigarette moved, and was flicked out of existence.

"Are your units in place, lieutenant?"

"Yes, they are, sir."

"Good. Commence the operation immediately."


	4. Goodbye, Iwatodai

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within, they belong to Atlus, which is currently busy making me a member of The Lost with their addictive gameplay.

**Chapter III: Goodbye, Iwatodai**

_I'm only going to say this once, okay…I love you_

"Go on, get moving. I can have you all arrested for soliciting," Officer Kurosawa barked at the vagrants outside the S.E.E.S. dormitory to get moving, but they all just stood there.

"Go on, I said-"

"_Cleared. Go! Go! Go!"_

Two of the vagrants tackled Officer Kurosawa to the ground, while the rest began to put on ski masks. Several of them went around to the back of the dorm through the alleyway, but several more stayed in the front. Hurriedly, one of the vagrants took something out of his pants and began attaching it to the dormitories' main door.

_Inside the S.E.E.S. Dorm_

"Go on, get moving. I can have you all arrested for soliciting!" Officer Kurosawa could be heard through the walls of the dorm, and the members of S.E.E.S. just sat there, pondering.

Mitsuru finally spoke up to break the silence, as they saw Officer Kurosawa's emergency lights turn off, and they heard his patrol car move away from the dorm.

"I believe it would be in our best interest to get some rest tonight. We're obviously not going to get any new leads without contacting H.Q. first. I'm going to go to the Kirijo Group headquarters tomorrow to see if we can over-ride the safety network around Yakushima. I would appreciate it if you would all come with me, then."

"Sure thing."

"No problem."

"Of course."

"I don't mind."

Koromaru simply barked.

"Very well, then," she smiled, and turned back to her subordinates, "that's the S.E.E.S. I know. Now, let's all rest up for tomorrow, we'll have a very busy day."

_Outside the S.E.E.S. Dorm_

"Are you ready yet?" asked one of the vagrants. He was standing by the door, slightly kneeling, as if to run.

"Not yet…now I am!"

"Don't be so loud."

The main door to the S.E.E.S. dorm was covered in a sticky grey ooze. One man had stuck a wire into it and then had set off running. Officer Kurosawa watched in horror at the spectacle. A black van pulled up, and was beginning to distribute weapons to the vagrants. Now he _definitely _knew S.E.E.S. wasn't involved in the bombings.

"You are a local police man, yes? You know these people, yes?" asked one of the vagrants holding Officer Kurosawa down.

He simply nodded.

"Then you shall see firsthand, what happens to traitors, yes?"

The man who had wired up the door now began counting down, 'Five…Four…Three…Two…"

_Inside the S.E.E.S. Dorm_

Yukari was the last one to go up the stairs. She was reminiscing about _him_. She still remembered, almost over a year ago, how she had asked him to be by her side when she confronted her mother. When she asked to be alone with him over Spring Break. When he said yes, and her heart skipped one, two, three beats; she didn't count. Her eyes were half-closed now, at the fact that the last time she saw him was not at a romantic resort hotel, or at the movies, or even when he had a smile on his face. No. The last time she had seen his face was when he was dying in agony. The last time she was in the same room as him was the funeral. She couldn't look at his face.

But now she sighed. There was no use dwelling on the past. One must look forward to a bright future. He taught her that, and she would never forget it.

"NOW!"

There was a deafening sound, then another. She couldn't tell where it had come from, but she saw, from her position in the stairs, the back door getting blown open and hitting the dining table.

And she ran. Junpei, Akihiko, and Ken; all had congregated in the meeting space on their floor instead of heading directly to bed, and they jolted upstairs, too.

"I want a clean sweep! Search every room top to bottom and have at least one guard posted on all floors! Leave nothing alive!"

"Yes, sir!"

From the fourth floor, as all members of S.E.E.S. had now gathered there, they heard gunfire below. The vagrants who were assaulting the dorm did not bother to check the bathrooms or kitchen: they just fired into the doors and walls and assumed something would die.

"W-What's going on!?" asked Junpei, but was quickly silenced by Mitsuru.

"Listen up, the dorm is under attack and there are only two ways out: escape or death. Junpei, check Ikutsuki's old room. If I remember correctly, we should still have the blueprints and emergency evacuation procedures for the dorm in there."

"Understood!" Junpei ran off, water swelling in his eyes, towards Ikutsuki's room.

"Second floor cleared, sir! No sign of life!"

"Move to the third floor!"

Junpei busted through the door with no regard for his own safety or that of the contents of the room. Inside, he found a single, neatly kept desk and several bookcases. He searched the desk first, it was empty, but then began searching the bookcases. He found a silver suitcase with a S.E.E.S. emblem on it and decided to take it, before he found exactly what he was looking for. Outside of Ikutsuki's window was a fire escape that linked directly to the roof of the next building, all you needed was a short jump of about two meters.

"Third floor cleared, sir! No signs of life!

"Move to the next floor!"

And that was when Junpei, suitcase in hand, bursting out of the command room, came face to face with the enemy, quickly drawing his rifle at S.E.E.S.

_Outside the S.E.E.S. Dorm_

Officer Kurosawa was still being constrained by the two vagrants when he heard gunfire inside, and the shouts of the men who he had tried to scatter.

"_Command, this is Flower Watch One, Operation is proceeding as planned."_

"_Roger that, continue observation until mission accomplished. We are sending the extract team now."_

Kurosawa heard the men in the van speaking on their radios, before the driver of the van signaled to the two men restraining him that he be brought over there.

"Load him up, I don't want the extract team hoarding the glory for his capture."

"B-but the boss said that-"

"Forget what _he_ said, just load the damn cop into the back so we can call this mission accomplished already!"

"Y-Yes, sir."

One of the men released his grip on Kurosawa, while the other one reached down to retrieve Kurosawa's handcuffs. It was around this time that he noticed…neither of them were armed. As his other captor loosened his grip on Kurosawa to handcuff him, the veteran police officer immediately used his foot to kick him in the shin and turn around so he could force himself free. The other vagrant had caught on by this time, but it was already too late.

He smashed on vagrants head into the side of the van, and, simultaneously used the other vagrant's head as a weapon against the driver. They were all unconscious before long.

He did just as he was told, actually. He got into the back of the van, but only to retrieve a spare rifle from the weapons bay, before heading back into the dorm.

Putting his rifle on single-shot fire, he ran inside with his gun already shouldered and put a few rounds into the two guards in the lounge. He shot the guard facing him first, and the guard facing the back second, so as to effectively take them both out.

But as he heard the shouts from upstairs, he just couldn't sit back and wait. He had to do something…

_Fourth Floor of the S.E.E.S. Dorm_

"Hey guys, I found a fire escape in Ikutsuki's offi – oh shit!" Junpei screamed as he came to a grinding halt as the enemy finally converged on their position. They all wore black ski masks and were pointing their rifles straight at S.E.E.S. They had survived the End of the World, and this is how they were to die. Death by firing squad.

"You know, our orders are to kill you, but maybe we can work out a deal. Our commander is _extremely _interested in one particular member of your organization. I believe her name is…Aigis? Aegis? Whatever, it doesn't matter –"

Mitsuru replied to the man's request quite frankly, "No. She's not here, and if she was, you'd all be dead."

"That's too bad. Sayonara, ne? Heh heh heh – hurgh!"

One of the men holding his rifle looked down at his chest, only to see a bloody mass of flesh where his clothes were supposed to be.

S.E.E.S. could hear a familiar voice crying from over the gunfire that now engulfed the building.

"Get out of here! Go save the world again! Just tell me about it when you get back!"

His voice was soon enveloped by gunfire, but the group, led by Junpei and Koromaru, who were both running for their lives, soon reached the fire escape. Their very lives at stake, they broke the window using some old books and, one by one, started jumping across the chasm. Fuuka, however, had gone back to retrieve one of the guns used by their attackers. Using its strap to hold it to her while she jumped, she was the last across.

"There they are! Flower Watch One, come in, we have the enemy in sight!" Some vagrants who were posted as guard duty at the back entrance had seen them jump from the building, but their efforts to reach the communications van were to no avail.

As S.E.E.S. abandoned the building, the occasional member glancing back with tears in their eyes, they were all enveloped in a massive glow. Nobody turned back this time, because they knew was it was. But they all kept running on the rooftops to the dance of the orange and red lights behind them.

They could hear the sirens of fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances as they ran across Iwatodai's rooftops. One of them, for sure, was Officer Kurosawa's.


	5. The Lost, Part I

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is another name for God.

**Chapter IV: The Lost (Part I)**

_I do not fear Death. I fear attachment._

"_The fire started abruptly at around eleven PM last night. City officials are still looking into the cause of the blaze, but they say the dormitory, which was used by a group of local high school students, was under investigation at the time for associations with the terrorist organization, S.E.E.S._

_During the police investigation, police noted the remains of several bodies, including dozens from the organization: Legion of Orphans Surviving Terrorism, as well as the body of forty-one year old police officer: Akira Kurosawa. It is not known whether the students living in the dorm were there at the time of the blast, but it is speculated that S.E.E.S. may have 'executed' them. Here, we have senior political analyst Ichigo Saiko to discuss the ramifications this will have against the S.E.E.S. organization…"_

Akihiko merely stood there, watching the news report as intently as he could without exploding into rage. Mitsuru had gone off to rent a few motel rooms for the night, so she left the rest of the team to their own devices until she called them all and ordered them to descend upon their new, temporary base.

An old man, the owner of a nearby bookstore came up to Akihiko. He, too, was apparently watching the broadcasts.

"It's a true shame, huh? Those children in that dormitory had so much ahead of them in life. S.E.E.S. is going to pay for doing such a despicable act!" he spat at the television, while Akihiko merely stared.

Had last night really happened? Was Officer Kurosawa truly dead?

And what of this new organization? The Legion of Orphans Surviving Terrorism? Who the hell were they? The only other people in the dorm last night besides S.E.E.S. and Kurosawa _were_ the terrorists.

He was about to reply to the old man's remarks, before his cell phone started to ring.

_To: Akihiko_

_Cc: Nyx Annihilation Team_

_From: Mitsuru_

_Subject: Our new HQ_

_I have found a location suitable for our needs as an organization that will provide ample safety. Unfortunately, it was in a bad neighborhood, but it was the least expensive to our funds. Please, all members of the Nyx Annihilation Team, come to 7010 Shirakawa Boulevard. You will note it is…familiar._

_END MESSAGE_

Shirakawa Boulevard? That place didn't rank high on the sentimental scale, but if that was where they were operating out from now, so be it.

He didn't find anyone else when he got to the address, but one by one, the remaining members of S.E.E.S. soon arrived. Fuuka had to wear Junpei's coat in order not to be noticed with an AK-47 in her possession.

After everyone was gathered in the lobby of the cheap motel, Mitsuru quickly descended upon them.

"You might all note, Takeba especially, that this was the same motel we assaulted a year and a half ago," Mitsuru said drylu. Yukari blushed.

"I have booked us rooms upstairs, in the exact rooms we assaulted a year and a half ago. We will assign rooms by gender. Everyone must obey this, however, the larger 'Golden Room' will be used as our command room until further notice. Let's go there now."

And so, they all followed Mitsuru to the Golden Room. The large, heart shaped bed in the middle was replaced with a table upon Mitsuru's request, and on it was the silver briefcase Junpei had recovered last night. Fuuka also put the gun on the table as well, next to a small laptop that was S.E.E.S.'s only remaining computer.

"Junpei made a wise decision in grabbing that suitcase. Do you know why?"

"I don't know, Mitsuru-senpai. Why?" Junpei honestly had no clue, while the rest of the team began gawking at the suitcase.

"Because," she opened the case towards her, and then turned it towards the rest of them. Junpei's mouth finally dropped.

Inside were ten S.E.E.S. armbands and ten evokers.

"They were a spare pair meant to be used in case S.E.E.S. wanted to expand to include a second team. However, I believe it's appropriate given the circumstances, that we use them now," she smiled, picking up the familiar gun like object and holding it in her hands.

"However, these guns are not what we should be discussion today, Fuuka."

Mitsuru extended her arm towards Fuuka, who quickly unwrapped the rifle she had brought with her. On the side of the rifle, just like on the side of their evokers, was an emblem. But this emblem did not read S.E.E.S., as the media liked to say. No. On the side of these rifles was the acronym: _L.O.S.T. – LEGION OF THE OLD SHADOWS OF TARTARUS_.

Akihiko immediately recognized the acronym from the earlier news report, and began to bring it up.

"I saw a news report on this. In the normal world, they go by the name of a counter-terrorism organization called the Legion of Orphans Surviving Terrorism…but to think they would be…these aren't terrorists we're dealing with."

"No," replied Mitsuru, "it should be assumed that from their M.O. that these are not ordinary terrorists. They have a clear objective, yes. And they seek to carry out this objective using terror while presenting themselves as legitimate institutions, yes. However, I think from this piece of evidence, coupled with the note from Tokyo Tower, it can be concluded that L.O.S.T. is an organization which is openly hostile to S.E.E.S. That our two objectives are in direct contradiction with each other, and that neither may live while the other survives."

"So…they're just like Strega, then?" asked Junpei

"Yes, but they are much, much larger. And from what we can tell, they aren't afraid to conduct operations in plain view of the public, either."

"So what now? Now that we know our enemy?" asked Yukari, who picked up her evoker and held it the same way Mitsuru was holding hers.

"Unfortunately, our only contact in the police force was killed yesterday. We cannot contact S.E.E.S. headquarters, one member of our team is missing, and we have lost everything except what is currently in this room."

"And?" asked Ken. Koromaru looking curiously at them all.

"From this point onward, I am putting S.E.E.S. back on combat operations status," she proudly announced. Junpei and Akihiko high-fived. Koromaru barked and licked Ken, and there was general euphoria in the room. However, Yukari sighed greatly.

"What's wrong Yuka-tan? We know who to fight, now we can strike back!"

"Yes, Yukari-chan, we need to – "

Yukari cut Fuuka off mid-sentence, "You guys expect me to just go back to the way things were during Tartarus and the Dark Hour! You guys expect me to go along with all this when it could get me killed! How about just disbanding S.E.E.S.? Did you guys ever think of that? Did you ever think, that nothing you'll do matters? That no matter what we do, nothing will change?"

She collapsed onto the floor, crying. Fuuka tried to console her, but Yukari pushed her away.

"We beat Nyx…we saved the world. Now look what's happening…It's starting all over again…And this time _he's_ not here to save us. You know why? Because he _died_ fighting a _lost cause_! I guess Nyx won after all…the Fall was merely delayed…"

Everyone was silent while Yukari sobbed, before she pulled herself to her feet, and started wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry…but…but I have to turn this in," she picked up her evoker from the floor and put it back in its spot in the suitcase. The third from the top in the neat row of pistols.

"I can't do this anymore…I'm done," she said in a soft tone that was barely audible.

"What would _he_ think? We all fought Nyx that day with the expectation that we would die – " said Mitsuru, before Yukari came to a shriek

"He _did_ die, damn it! He's dead, and you're all just going to die, too if you keep on like this…"

"Maybe so," said Junpei, "but we'll die looking Death straight in the face, instead of having Death stab us in the back."

Yukari was a bit taken aback by Junpei's comment. Partly because it made so much sense, and also because it was Junpei that said it. But whatever bonds she had developed with S.E.E.S., one cannot calm the heart of someone who has lost a lover. She kissed Junpei on the cheek, before grabbing her things and heading out the door. Before leaving, she looked back at all of them one last time.

"This doesn't mean I won't be rooting for you," she said faintly, before closing the door.

"Yukari-chan, wait!" Fuuka set out to chase after her, but Akihiko held her back.

"Don't. She needs time and space, she'll come back on her own accord, and on her own terms, but not now."

Mitsuru nodded, before adding in some advise herself, "besides, we need to be concentrating all of our efforts on locating the L.O.S.T. and stopping them before they can do any more harm. To either us or the world!"

"Agreed!" exclaimed everyone else in the room.

"Now, while you all took your time to get to this location, I've devised a plan…"

And as Yukari walked down Shirakawa Boulevard, hailing a cab to take her to some far-away place where she could live in peace, Operation Orpheus, the plan for S.E.E.S. to strike back at the L.O.S.T., was put into play.


	6. Vilnius

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any of the characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is currently busy taking over the world.

**Chapter V: Operation Vilnius (Mitsuru & Akihiko's Story)**

_Feelin' all pressured by the peers and the media_

"_After the latest attack blamed on S.E.E.S., which claimed the lives of over twenty in Iwatodai, including one police officer, world leaders are meeting in the United Nations in New York today to officially declare S.E.E.S. a terrorist organization, and to freeze all assets related to it. Miro, what is you opinion on this measure?"_

"_Personally, I believe that it is about time world governments have acted on this issue. For the past month, Japan has been terrorized by this cult, and they are in for a rude awakening. But this is a unique case of terrorism. In every terror organization in the world, there must always be a head: a place where the money and materials comes from, however, in the case of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, police agencies from the Tokyo Metropolis Police to Interpol have had almost no success in tracing S.E.E.S.'s assets or tracking their members."_

"_Oh, but certainly after it is formally declared a terror organization, that will change?"_

"_It may, or it may not. Only time will tell. However, of special importance today is an offer which was put forth to Interpol by the Legion of Orphans Surviving Terrorism. As almost twenty of their members were killed in the latest S.E.E.S. attack, they are willing to lead the investigation against S.E.E.S…."_

Mitsuru and Akihiko were enjoying a loaf of bread in a restaurant somewhere in Sapporo, in the Hokkaido Prefecture. They were there as a part of Operation Orpheus. The plan was to consist of three teams scattered out all around Japan. Mitsuru and Akihiko were to head to Hokkaido in the north; Ken and Koromaru to Tokyo in the center; and Junpei and Fuuka to Fukuoka in the south. The overall plan of the operation was simple: to set up different monitoring stations and operations bases in Japan so that S.E.E.S. could effectively fight the L.O.S.T. on three fronts. Once they had collected enough intelligence, S.E.E.S. would make its move to remove the L.O.S.T. membership, which would, hopefully, end the terrorism and the threat against their lives.

"I still can't believe this is happening. That people would actually think _we're _the terrorists," remarked Akihiko, his face stuffed with bread.

"First of all: don't talk with your mouth full. Second: they don't think it's _us_, really. To them, S.E.E.S. is a faceless organization. People don't see the truth. They don't realize they're being deceived."

"That may be true, but still, what I don't get is how something like this started in the first place. Everyone who knew about the incident is either dead, or was one of us, so how…"

"That must be it, then," she cut him off; "it couldn't have been a _person_, because like you said, we're the only ones who survived that battle. Someone must have made a record of the events before the battle and left instructions for…something. I don't know…oh, hey. Fuuka just sent me a message."

She opened the laptop computer on the table and read the message to herself. They had to buy brand new computers without emblems on them, and that put a serious dent in their funding.

_To: M_

_Cc: K_

_From: F_

_Subject: Success_

_Infiltration was successful. Data shows that there is someone who might be of interest of us in Osaka, recommend further intelligence before taking action._

_END MESSAGE_

"So, what does it say," said Akihiko, as he stuffed the last piece of bread into his mouth.

"Fuuka's analysis has found someone in Osaka who may be related to the recent incidents, or they may not. She _did_ recommend further intelligence before we take action."

"You know, she located someone last week in Sapporo, and it just turned out to be that guy from Student Council. You remember, the former Disciplinary Representative?"

"Hidetoshi, yes, I remember. I don't know exactly how she managed to locate him or why, but apparently he has something to do with the incidents," she said, casually sipping on a coke.

"Not according to our scans or your analysis. This could be another dead end."

"It could, but we should pursue each lead we get. If we don't, the terrorism won't stop. And the L.O.S.T. knows who we are."

Akihiko merely sighed. Wasting resources on intelligence gathering wasn't his style, but he realized the importance of it.

"Are you going to dispatch Ken?"

"Probably. By the time he gets there, Fuuka should have gotten more information."

Her laptop pinged again. It was another message from Fuuka.

"Speak of the devil," she said.

_To: M_

_Cc: K_

_From: F_

_Subject: Identity_

_I have successfully identified the target in Osaka. You won't believe this, but, its signature is extremely similar to that of Aigis. I'll send you all the data as soon as it comes through._

_SENDING _

_LOADING…_

_SP-SIGNATURE: HUMANOID_

_SP-IDENTITY: NON-ORGANIC_

_SP-SPECIFIC: ROBOTIC_

_SP-INDIVIDUAL: SERIES A-770_

_END MESSAGE_

"Well, I think now would be the opportune time to deploy all of S.E.E.S. to Osaka," said Mitsuru.

"Oh, and why would that be?" asked Akihiko, curiosity welling up in him.

"Because we might have found Aigis. Now come on Akihiko, pay the bill and let's get moving. I'll give the order to deploy once we're on our way."

"Yeah – hey! W-wait! How come I have to pay the bill!"

"I paid last time, so it's your turn…"

Akihiko made some sort of face at this, and Mitsuru got slightly irritated.

"Why, what is it?" she asked in a slightly pissed off tone.

"But, you have money," he sighed. Mitsuru glared at him, before threatening to hit him if he didn't pay the bill like a man. He agreed, only after much whining, and the two of them set off for Sapporo Central Station, to board a train set back to Honshu.

"You're sure it's Aigis?" Akihiko asked.

"She's the only A-series left. It has to be her. Once we make contact, we'll finally be able to end this…"


	7. Riga

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is busy purchasing the Milky Way in the universal stock market.

Note: I'm using the review page to respond to any question or comments. Post them in your reviews or PM me.

**Chapter VI: Operation Riga (Fuuka & Junpei's Story)**

_Dreamless Dorm…ticking clock_

"Yahoo! Oh, the breeze sure does feel good in the south!" shouted Junpei as the two of them ran out of the hotel.

"Yeah, but it sure is hot here in Kyushu," said Fuuka, laptop in hand. The two of them had been dispatched to Kyushu as part of Operation Riga, a sub-operation of Operation Orpheus. So far, in the last seven days, Fuuka had only identified one person of interest to S.E.E.S., and that had turned out to be a false lead. Today, instead of spending the entire day inside as they usually did, Junpei proposed that they go to the beach, and Fuuka accomplish her work from there.

She agreed, but only after Junpei pressed the issue until it was actually sad to see him go on. The seaside resort was one of the finest hotels in the city, but it was also chosen because it had a broadcasting antenna on top of it which could amplify Fuuka's analyzing capabilities.

Junpei was wearing nothing but his blue swim trunks and Fuuka was wearing the same swimsuit she bought for the trip to Yakushima. To get to the beach required one to cross a heavily traveled highway, but once there, it was nothing but sand and surf and (in Junpei's opinion) semi-decent babes, ugly babes, and hot babes.

Once there, Junpei went to work finding all the beautiful women on the beach and hitting on them, while Fuuka merely laid out a towel and began searching Japan for anyone of interest on her laptop and with her persona.

"Hmm, I have a possible hit in sector 4-D. I should make a note of that…" Fuuka said aloud, while she could hear Junpei chasing random girls and the subsequent cries he would make as their boyfriends drew near. Fuuka smiled a bit, she had never really thought of herself as a real member of S.E.E.S. until quite recently. She always felt like an outsider; when they went off to battle, and she always stayed behind. She wanted to fight, but she had her place, and right now, this was her place.

She started feeling more comfortable around the other members of S.E.E.S. around graduation of last year. For what reasons, she didn't know why, but as she watched Junpei play on the beach, just above the brim of her laptop, she felt happy.

"Oh, another possible hit in sector 17-A. I have to mark that down!" she said, typing furiously into her laptop coordinates and data points for various variables. She thought about laughing to herself: here she was, on one of the nicest beaches she had been to, and she was still stuck doing work.

"Hey…this is weird, I'm getting a strange reading from sector 10-R, I'd better analyze it…whoa. That's _really_ weird. I'd better send an e-mail to the other teams that I have an anomaly in the readings…but, wouldn't that be a successful infiltration of the populace? Yeah…"

She typed up an e-mail to Ken and Mitsuru's teams notifying them of the successful infiltration and location of a target. The hotel antenna nearby was acting as an extremely powerful "dish" from which she could analyze almost all of Japan. Looking at the clock on the computer, she began to work again, dividing her spirit energy on not only locating new targets, but also on the identification of the target in sector 10-R.

An hour passed by. She located three new targets: two in sector 0-Z and one in sector 1-Z. That was strange: all three were in the Iwatodai Area…that had to be some mistake.

She tried to delve deeper into the matter by identifying the sources of the spirit emissions, but to no avail. It was strange...they were all emitting spiritual energy, but none of them had the means to broadcast it.

If one thought of spirit emissions and spirit power, it would all be quite confusing unless they had read the latest edition of the _S.E.E.S. Guidebook_. However, it was actually quite simple.

All human beings had spiritual power, which manifested itself in the consciousness of the individual. Spirit power is easily detectable: through a person's behavior and personality, and their particular spirit power drove their ambitions and goals in life.

Spirit emissions, however, were different. Just as all humans possess spiritual power, all humans also emit that power around them through spiritual emission. The amount of spiritual emission is directly proportional to the amount of spirit power one has: in other words, the more spirit power you have, the more likely it is someone will detect it.

Human history is filled with hundreds of individuals who have possessed immense spirit power…

_S.E.E.S. Guidebook – Fourth Edition_

_Detection of Spiritual Emission_

_Spiritual Emission is directly proportional to the amount of spirit power an individual holds. Spiritual emission is different from spirit power, however, in that; the more spirit emissions an individual possesses, the greater their effects on the world. A prime example of this would be the German dictator, Adolf Hitler._

_For reasons yet unknown to the S.E.E.S. Library Team, Adolf Hitler, by age forty, had acquired an unnatural level of spiritual power. Consequently, his spiritual emissions were on par with those of several religious prophets throughout history. This vast amount of spiritual emission led members of ordinary society to label him as "charismatic" and "bold". However, our research concludes none of this._

_Experiments conducted on the corpses of several deceased Nazis after the war had shown that their spiritual balance (refer to page 141), had been severely altered by their continued exposure to high levels of Hitler's spiritual emissions. It can be concluded that, upon our current research, only those who possess very large amounts of spirit power are able to produce noticeable quantities of spiritual emission. Even then, only those capable of broadcasting their emissions into the personalities of others have been able to change the world. However, our current research indicates that all known subjects throughout history, who have possessed considerable amounts of spirit emissions, have a 100 broadcast rate._

_CONTINUE TO PAGE 147 TO LEARN ABOUT SAFEGUARDING YOUR MIND AGAINST SPIRITUAL BROADCASTS_

If these people had large spirit emissions…and weren't broadcasting them? Were they hiding their energy? Or were they simply not aware of their power?

She thought about this even more, until...!

She was suddenly able to identify the presence in sector 10-R. Whatever it was, it was emitting an extremely large spirit register…almost as much as a persona user…no. It _had_ to be a persona user. She immediately began typing in coordinates and filling in variables in her laptop, and it zeroed the location down to a small commercial district in Osaka, with the high possibility that it was a robotic persona user. It _had_ to be Aigis. She sent out an alert to the other teams and called for Junpei to come over. When he got there, he seemed out of breath. Probably from getting chased around the beach by boyfriends who were angry at him for hitting on their women.

"Junpei, we need to get moving, now," she said, packing up her possession and closing up the laptop.

"Why's that, Fuuka?" he asked, sweat starting to trickle down his brow.

"I've just found Aigis. C'mon, Ken's team will be the first to arrive, so we have to meet with them ASAP!"

She rushed across the highway, dodging more than a few cars in an elegant fashion that reminded Junpei of Mitsuru, before Junpei had to run back to the hotel himself when he realized the full impact of the situation.

S.E.E.S. would converge on Osaka, and if they could locate Aigis, it would be all over for the L.O.S.T.


	8. Tallinn

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is currently being awesome.

**Chapter VII: Operation Tallinn (Ken & Koromaru's Story)**

_I'm going to EXECUTE_ _you!_

Out of all the operational teams dispatched under Operation Orpheus, Ken's team was the least prepared for an emergency situation. Neither Ken nor Koromaru were specialists within S.E.E.S. Nor could they rely effectively on themselves for daytime self-defense. During the night, Ken and Koromaru were cleared to use any force, including their personas, to deal with any threats. However, because of his age, Ken was barred from carrying a projectile firearm along with him for daylight security.

They were posted in Tokyo, not only because of the large police presence, but because in the event of an emergency, Tokyo could be reached fairly quickly by the other teams (in comparison to the time it would take for Fuuka's team to react to an emergency in Sapporo).

Ken sat lazily on the bed of the hotel suite. It had to be an extremely expensive room, otherwise hotel management wouldn't have allowed Koromaru to stay there. Needless to say, the exact _reason_ why S.E.E.S. was short on funding at the moment was because of this.

"_On the next episode of Phoenix Feather Man R! Episode 111, Crooked Eye Captain! Be careful putting on contacts, kids!_

_And now, the news…_"

Ken looked at Koromaru, who was yawning quietly in the corner. They both knew what the news would be about, so Ken had decided to shut off the TV for today.

It was frustrating. Out of all the teams that were dispatched, only Ken's was on standby mode. He couldn't analyze unlike Fuuka or Mitsuru, and neither himself nor Koromaru could wield a gun, lest Mitsuru "execute" them…

A few pings on his laptop were all he needed to become renewed. It was a message from Fuuka. Perhaps he could be cleared for an investigation? An assault?

_To: M_

_Cc: K_

_From: F_

_Subject: Success_

_Infiltration was successful. Data shows that there is someone who might be of interest of us in Osaka, recommend further intelligence before taking action._

_END MESSAGE_

He cursed silently to himself. It was merely a notification of a possible target, not actual authorization of force…

"Ah…damn it!" he punched the air as he shouted this. Like Akihiko, he didn't want to remain inactive for too long.

"Koromaru, we've been like this for an entire week now, just sitting in the hotel room and watching TV…do you think they actually trust us?" he asked.

All he got was a bark.

"Oh…right. I wish Aigis-san were here. She could tell me what you're saying…"

Another bark, before Koromaru looked up at Ken with pleading eyes and a growling stomach.

"Oh, you're hungry, Koromaru?" asked Ken.

Another bark.

"Heh heh. I'm kind of hungry, too. Let's order pizza, huh?"

Bark.

Ken ordered some pizza from the hotel lobby using the Mitsuru's credit card. Ever since her father died, she had only been able to pay for a tiny fraction of the funds the card allowed, so she restricted all access to funding for emergencies only.

So wouldn't a hungry Koromaru chewing on expensive hotel furniture count as an emergency? He ordered two large pizzas to be delivered right away…

When the pizzas finally got there, one half hour had already elapsed, and the two of them spent the next half hour ravenously devouring the pizza. Another ping on Ken's laptop had got his attention and forced him to clean his hands of the tomato and cheese before reading the next alert.

_To: M_

_Cc: K_

_From: F_

_Subject: Identity_

_I have successfully identified the target in Osaka. You won't believe this, but, its signature is extremely similar to that of Aigis. I'll send you all the data as soon as it comes through._

_SENDING _

_LOADING…_

_SP-SIGNATURE: HUMANOID_

_SP-IDENTITY: NON-ORGANIC_

_SP-SPECIFIC: ROBOTIC_

_SP-INDIVIDUAL: SERIES A-770_

_END MESSAGE_

"Whoa, holy crap! Koromaru, we have to go!"

Ken put a leash around Koromaru as the hotel specified (and which Koromaru detested) and called room service to clean out the room. They took the elevator to the main lobby to check out, and ran for the Tokyo Metropolitan Subway Lines to catch the next train going west.

As luck would turn out for them, the next train leaving for the Osaka region had arrived literally in seconds of their arrival.

"_Now boarding. Yellow Line train 77 going westbound to Osaka._"

As Ken got on, the train, which had supposedly passed through Shinjuku first, he noticed it was conspicuously empty. Koromaru, who was always misbehaving on a leash, was using all his might to run away from the train, growling at it and baring teeth.

"Come _on_, Koromaru. We finally get deployed and this is how you act!"

Koromaru began barking furiously, and although he was running towards the exit, Ken managed to pull him into the train long enough for Koromaru to get inside the doors. As they shut, however, Koromaru managed to break free of Ken's grip, and ran as fast as he could out of the station.

"Koromaru! Koromaru!" Ken yelled inside the train car towards the dog. Koromaru was long gone by the time Ken was swallowed by the darkness of the tunnels…

Note: I feel as if I rushed that chapter, but I really didn't know what to write when it came to Ken and Koromaru's perspective. Also, for those of you wondering why I'm posting these story chapters, just keep reading.


	9. Yukari's Story

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is currently _still_ being awesome.

**Chapter VIII: Yukari's Story**

_We should have known better…_

It had been a week since she had resigned from S.E.E.S. An entire week of thinking and apprehension. And in that time Yukari once again lost hope in the world. 'What are they thinking?' she thought as she smoked a cigarette in some café in downtown Osaka.

"Ma'am, here's the bill, as you requested," said a waitress.

"Thank you," replied Yukari.

"What _are_ they thinking," she said aloud this time…

_One and a Half Years Earlier_

_She looked at his face while they both sat on the floor. She had brought out two pink cushions for them to sit on, and even though she felt so comfortable around him…it was just so awkward for him to be here._

"_Everyone's in their rooms, too…I hope no one finds out I snuck you in here…If I accidentally scream, everybody will hear me…What am I saying!? Don't get the wrong idea, okay!?"_

_Minato simply looked her in the face, saying in that calm yet cool voice that attracted her so much, "I didn't hear anything."_

"_Y-Ya' got that right!"she told him, but after realizing what she just said, she asked him nervously if she was always this crazy. She tried laughing so as to hide her blushing. It didn't work, and she could feel her face glowing red._

_They spoke for a while. Things that were barely important: Koromaru's fur getting on the couch, or Akihiko accidentally breaking a soda machine. But it was the mere state-of-being that charmed her. His simple presence was more than enough to make her content. _

_But after about half an hour of mindless chatter, she suddenly got up and remembered to give him something that night. She took the strap off her cell phone and gave it to him, his eyebrows forming a questioning look as if to say "is this for me?" and "what the hell is this?" at the same time._

"_You know what it is, right? It's the strap from my cell phone," she told him, "I got it at the opening ceremony for the Moonlight Bridge. It's been my special keepsake for many years…Ever since my dad bought it for me….I used to talk to the toy figurine attached to it when I was here in my room," she couldn't help giggling a bit, "you must think I'm nuts, huh? But…as I got to know you, Minato-kun, I talked to my little friend less and less…That's not the reason I gave it to you, though…"_

_She was blushing beet red now, her heart pumping as fast as it could, "I'm only going to say this once, okay? Minato-kun…I-I love you….Whew, I said it!" _

_She couldn't stop blushing, but noticed Minato take his hands out of his pockets as well. _

_She continued to talk, though, just to keep him there, "When all this is over, we should do something fun, don't you think? Hey…don't make any plans for tonight, okay? I want to spend some time together, just the two of us…"_

"_Yukari…" he said quietly, slightly gripping both of her shoulders, he pulled her closer to him and…_

"I'm sorry, ma'am, we don't accept this type of credit card at this establishment," the waitress said when she returned.

Yukari merely sighed and pulled out the exact amount of yen needed to perform the transaction. The waitress counted it quickly and bowed to Yukari, saying in a sugar-sweet voice, "thank you for your business!"

Yukari had deduced in the last week, that jeans were a much better clothing than a black miniskirt, that cigarettes tended to taste very good when smoked by the pack, and that, even though she felt horrible over quitting S.E.E.S., she felt it was the right decision for her to make, given her circumstances.

She left the café, putting out the current cigarette she was smoking and lit another as she walked down Meiji Boulevard. Since she arrived in Osaka, she had gotten a job at a restaurant that employed young women willing to dress themselves in maid uniforms. It didn't pay well, but it was enough for Yukari to survive by herself.

She kept walking down the street, waiting for her legs to take her to her apartment so she could change into uniform and head off to work. It was almost her shift, and she hurried back so she wouldn't be late. Opening the door but jigging the lock and rummaging around in her closet without regard for the general tidiness of the room.

She slipped out of her jeans and pink cardigan and slipped into her maid uniform, complete with stockings, shoes, and a headband to finish it off. Looking in the mirror, she looked exactly how she did for the culture festival. Now, it seemed like a distant memory. A reminder of her painful past.

She opened the door to her apartment. It was on the ground level of some run down tenement, but the rent was just low enough so that she could live comfortably inside. And, as she walked down Meiji Boulevard again, she noticed how spring had changed the surroundings. Not just the blossoming trees, but also the blossoming love. Couples held hands, kissed, and were in general close proximity to each other all around her while she was walking to her job. It had been like this last spring, too. At the time, she was too stricken with grief to notice, however.

Now, of course, it was much different. She supposed, in her deepest of thoughts, that she had 'gotten over' his death, whatever that meant. She told herself it would've never worked out; that it was just another one of her high school relationships; that she could have any man she wanted, and _he_ wasn't all that special.

But a part of her did think he was that special. Out of all the people she knew, _he_ was the only one she could confide in, and he empathized because he had gone through a similar situation, actually, he had gone through a much worse situation.

When Yukari really sat down to think about it, she couldn't concentrate on the issue for that long, because she might still love him. And if that happened, what then? Would she love a corpse? Would she tell S.E.E.S. to get on with their lives when she herself could not get on with hers? Who could she turn to, and where would it end?

_One Year Earlier_

_She sat alone on a bench outside the shrine holding a can of coffee in her hands. She stared at the top of the can. It was empty now, she had drunk it all. Even though it was her tenth can tonight, she still felt sleepy._

_He was pronounced dead at the Memorial Hospital a few days ago, but today was the actual funeral. Yukari had attended, but she hadn't taken a look at the body. She was starting to regret it now, but she wanted to look 'cool' for him up in Heaven, so she decided not to go back in just to look at his face one last time._

_Junpei came out after some discussion with the other members of S.E.E.S. It was decided that, because Junpei and Yukari had been such close friends to him in life, they should comfort each other after his death. Junpei was visibly shaken, though not as much as Yukari. Both tried to remain calm after his death, but that was hard to do._

_Junpei bought a canned soda from a nearby vending machine for 100 yen, before sitting down next to Yukari, popping open the can and chugging the liquid himself._

"_You alright?" Junpei stupidly asked. His face staring straight ahead towards the sky._

"_Yeah. Just lost my boyfriend for an unknown and unnecessary reason, but other than that, I'm fine…And you?" her voice was monotone, and she didn't turn her head when she spoke either. Her lips barely moved as she made the words._

"_Well…I just lost my best friend…and the only other person around the dorm who would listen to dirty jokes about you," Junpei mused, trying to convey their sorrow in a way that wouldn't sound 'lame'. He wouldn't want it that way._

"_Heh. He was a pervert just for you, Junpei…do you…have another hundred yen…I – I need another coffee," she said, turning her head slightly to the left so as to face him._

"_Yeah. Let me buy one for you," Junpei got up, put 200 yen in the machine, and waited for two coffees to come down. He sat back down, handing one of the cans to Yukari. _

"_Here"_

"_Thanks," she said, nodding her head and pushing a strand of hair out of her face. Her face wasn't puffy from crying. She had stopped crying a few days ago. She didn't have the energy to cry._

"_What if this is just a hallucination? You know, like back when we fought those shadows at Shirakawa?" Junpei proposed. He knew it sounded stupid, but he wanted to believe it right now._

"_No," she laughed slightly, "I took a shower in the same room as him and walked around in a towel the last time. If this were a hallucination, I must've slept with him, then…" she giggled a little bit; Junpei, too._

"_Ha! Who knows, maybe you did? This is a hallucination, after all!" Junpei said aloud. The two of them laughed a little, before realizing the somberness of the moment._

"_Of course…this is for real, this time. He's…dead," she said silently, in a whisper that Junpei could barely hear. "But, he always said to look to the brighter future…but…I don't see the light anymore, Junpei. It's just black…it's…it's just…" a single tear welled up in her eyes. She couldn't cry, but she couldn't breathe, either. She found it all so…painful._

_In the next few minutes, she found herself clinging to Junpei's shirt, drenching it in tears. Junpei, slightly taken aback, simply allowed it. Minato had been his best friend. They trusted each other with their lives. Junpei had to be there for Yukari as well._

_The other members of S.E.E.S., watching through the carefully draped windows of the shrine, simply watched on as the two friends shared their sorrows._

_The next day, they…_

"You're late," said a mildly bald, short, fat man who wore a heavy apron. He was the head chef and owner of the _Oh Boy, Osaka!_ Restaurant, and was subsequently Yukari's manager and boss.

"Yeah, yeah. This is my first late, so quiet down," she said through the cigarette in her mouth as she punched her time slot into the clock.

"Didn't I tell you to stop smoking in the restaurant? This is a family restaurant, damn it!" he shouted.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll put it out," she opened the door and threw the butt out onto the sidewalk. "All taken care of, now pipe down while I do my work!"


	10. Aigis's Story

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. I wish I did, but they belong to Atlus.

**Chapter IX: Aigis's Story**

_My purpose is to defeat you…_

"_Bearing One-Two-Five! Also Bearing Two-Seven-Zero! Targets will arrive at designated area at 13:00 Hours! One target is confirmed in area currently!"_

"_Hold off operations until all targets are within the designated area. Our intelligence was able to successfully capture one, but only after extreme surveillance and monitoring. The other targets are on the move, I want a clean operation! Don't let this be another stain on our record!"_

OSAKA

"Sister, look!"

Aigis had taken leave to Osaka upon hearing rumors on the S.E.E.S. DataNet that there was an escaped assault robot on the loose within the civilian population. Her original mission was to capture the robot alive and return to S.E.E.S. headquarters in Yakushima, but…

"Very good, Metis! That's very pretty!" Aigis said.

The robot's name was "Metis", and apparently, was _somehow_ the same series as Aigis. She had only been activated recently, so she still had the personality of a child, but, despite the hard work keeping Metis out of trouble, it was fun. Aigis had originally decided to stay in Osaka for a short period of time to take care of Metis until backup arrived from S.E.E.S. She had sent in requests to both the S.E.E.S. headquarters _and_ the dorm in Iwatodai multiple times, but, she had no luck. Aigis then told herself that, so long as she may live, she would not let anyone else die who was under her protection.

And that is how Aigis got stuck in Osaka. Of course, Metis aside, there was also the fact that Aigis lacked adequate transportation, supplies, and equipment to make it back to Yakushima, but this was a pretty good living in and of itself.

Aigis had found a job as a mechanic at a small garage that specialized with motorcycle augmentation and repair. She had found the job…interesting. She never knew humans who shared such passion for machines.

And as for Metis…she had requested to be enrolled in a school. For whatever reasons, Aigis didn't know, but she had agreed. Right now, Aigis was wearing her mechanic's overalls and was 

walking Metis home from school. Spring break was over, and today was Metis's first day in high school, so, unlike Aigis, she was able to blend into the school fairly well as just another unassuming first-year.

"So what do you want to do today, sister?" Metis asked in an innocent tone.

"Sorry, Metis. I have to work tonight…" Aigis said.

"Aww, but _sister_," Metis began to whine. Aigis knew this would happen, luckily, she had been scouting the around them for someplace quiet and peaceful. A place where Metis could be entertained until Aigis's shift…

'_Oh, Boy, Osaka! Family Restaurant'_

Aigis spotted this quant little diner from the corner of her eye. They were family, right? Aigis and Metis? She had once read that a restaurant was a place where people ate and talked in a soothing atmosphere under very quiet conditions.

Perfect! If Aigis took Metis to a restaurant, then surely she would quiet down!

"And all the friends you used to talk about have such wonderful memories of you and why can't I – "

"Metis, dear sister?"

"Yes!" Metis's face instantly gleamed when Aigis called her name and she almost dropped her bag raising her hands to her face in glee.

"How about we go to a restaurant. I think you'll like it there," Aigis said. She would take Metis either way, but things would be _so_ much easier if she agreed.

"Okay! Anywhere with you, sister!"

Success! She waited for the light to turn red before taking Metis's hand and crossing the road to the restaurant.

It was a nice place, with comfortable looking booths by the windows and some spinning chairs by the counter. A menu above the counter sold everything from fish and chips to bite-sized hamburgers.

"What is this place, sister?" Metis asked, before Aigis led them to a booth by one of the windows. When they sat down, they saw steam coming from behind the counter along with a delicious smell, and one woman with long reddish-brown hair in a maid uniform taking orders from some teenagers just a few booths away…

"Welcome to Oh Boy, Osaka! Family Restaurant. Are you ready to order?" Aigis could hear the waitress asking. Why did her voice sound familiar?

"Yeah, I'll have one order of _you_, babe. Hehe," replied one of the teenagers.

"Ahem. Let me try this _again_. Are you ready to order?" asked the waitress again.

"So how 'bout it babe, wanna' ditch this joint and come home with me and my buddies here?"

_!!_

It was then that the waitress picked the boy up by his throat and held him in the air.

"Listen, punk! If I ask you if you're ready to order, you say 'yes', and you don't gimme' any shit, okay!" she shouted.

"Yukari-san!" Aigis shouted, before Yukari threw the boy on the ground, while his friends cowered back into the booth.

"A – Aigis? Is that really you? What are you doing in Osaka? And – what's with the clothes?" Yukari asked about Aigis's grease stained overalls.

"I could ask the same about you," Aigis laughed.

"Zip it," Yukari deadpanned, before noticing Metis watching them from the back of the booth, "who's that?" she asked.

"That's my sister, Meti – Oh! Yukari-san, please, can you take care of her!? I need to get to work and…"

"Sorry, Aigis, but I've got my hands full here," she replied, Aigis's eyes fell, before the short, fat, bald man came out again.

"Not anymore you're not. This is a family restaurant for God sake's, Takeba! You don't pull that crap in here! You're fired! Smokin' and cussin' and fightin', what's the world gone to…" he muttered as he stammered away from the two girls and back into the kitchen.

Yukari simply sighed, before turning back to Metis, looking her over, and turning back to Aigis again.

"What time will you pick her up?" she asked.

"Around eleven o'clock. Oh, thank you, Yukari!" Aigis hugged Yukari, which sent Yukari's arms flailing as she struggled to breathe.

"Oh! Sorry, Yukari-san!"

"Meh, it's okay," she said, gasping for air. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from her pocket and wrote her address.

"Here's my address. I'll take care of your sister until you pick her up, okay?"

"Yes, thank you!" she was about to hug Yukari again, before she ducked out of the way and raised her hands as if to surrender.

"Oops, sorry…Hey, Metis?"

"Yes, sister!" Metis replied cheerfully.

"I have to go to work soon, so Aunt Takeba…"

Yukari choked when she heard that, covering it up by stealing some bread from the counter.

"Ahem. Aunt Takeba will take care of you until I get back, okay?"

"B – But, sister!" Metis whined, but Yukari walked over and cheered her up.

"Hey, it's fine. See this maid outfit? I have a whole story behind it. I have a lot of stories actually, and a lot of them have Aigis as a hero! They're _totally_ true, too. Right Aigis?" she winked at Aigis, who winked back and started walking out the door.

Apparently, the temptation of hearing Aigis battling evil demons in an evil time period called the 'Dark Hour' was too much for Metis to handle, and she gladly said goodbye to Aigis as they went their separate ways on the road.

Aigis was happy. She had someone to take care of. Someone to protect. Someone to work for, and all the while she had a good friend to back her up when she needed it. What more could she want?

She walked to the bus stop to wait for the next bus uptown…but the bus never came.

That was when…


	11. Downfall

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is being the very best like no one ever was.

**Chapter X: Downfall**

_This useless, pathetic world will gradually fester over time…_

None of the S.E.E.S. teams operating under Operation Orpheus ever made it to Osaka. Fuuka's train was stopped for "routine maintenance" in Hiroshima. And Mitsuru's train had to be stopped because of "S.E.E.S. attack on a tunnel under Tokyo Bay."

They thought about contacting each other. Maybe issue an alert. Maybe get Ken and Koromaru out of Tokyo…but it was too late.

OSAKA

A bomb exploded just outside a shop several blocks away from where Aigis was standing. A second bomb could be heard detonating another few blocks away. This time, there were many more screams from the injured…it was a bus bomb.

She could hear sirens blaring just a few seconds after the first blast, but by the time the third blast occurred, the sirens stopped, then started again.

She could hear gunfire and shouting nearby. The screeching of brakes and the beeping of horns. More blasts could be heard around the city as the terrorists created utter chaos. She felt a hand on her shoulder, before getting tackled to the ground by a local police officer.

"This area isn't safe, miss, you have to get out of here!" she heard him shout. She was about to tell him that her sister was nearby, but she heard a bullet whiz by her head, and she saw blood splatter onto the opposite side of the bus stop wall.

Pushing the police officer's corpse off of her, Aigis ran. She ran for her life. Not away from the gunfire, but towards it, in the same direction Yukari and Metis had travelled in. In the corner of her eye, she saw a street battle unfold between two groups: one with red armbands and another with yellow armbands…what was going on? Who were these people? Why was this happen –

Another bomb exploded in the building Aigis had just passed. If she had been one second late in crossing the threshold, she would have been blown apart by the blast. Instead, the shockwave sent her flying several feet into the street, where patrol cars of the Osaka Metropolitan Police were driving a convoy of government officials out of the city.

A roadside bomb took out the convoy.

"What…What is going on?" she asked herself as she stood there amongst the fighting.

"Sister! Sister, help!" she heard someone crying out down a side-street where the police convoy just came from.

"Sister! Sister! Help, Sister!'

"Aigis! If you can hear us…Get your ass over here!"

There was no doubt about it. It was Yukari and Metis, and as Aigis ran down the street and turned a corner, she saw several of the men in red armbands assaulting the two of them. So far, Yukari and Metis had managed to hold them off, but…

A black van drove up. Two, large, heavy men jumped out of it, sprinting towards Yukari.

"Yukari-san! Metis, get down!" Aigis ordered, instantly opening up her Albiero and firing as soon as the two of them had begun to duck.

The bullets hit the two men with full force, instantly dropping them while the black van drove away.

"Are you two alright?" Aigis yelled out, using her hands to secure the area.

"Yeah. We're fine. Listen, Aigis, we have to get out of Osaka! You don't know who these guys are!" shouted Yukari.

"I know they are my enemy," replied Aigis, her Albiero still drawn.

"No, listen! These guys are professionals! And they're posing as S.E.E.S." she yelled back. Apparently, Aigis didn't care.

"My enemy will be defeated," she said again.

There it was again, the screeching of brakes and the roar of engines…but there were more…many more.

_Thirty Minutes Ago_

_Several masked men wearing red armbands on their left arms and carrying assault rifles walked out of the garage._

"_You sure they got the intel right? I mean, they said there were two targets in Tokyo, but I only found one."_

"_Yeah, they got the intel right this time. We've known for a while that their little robotic assistant has been in Osaka, but they've all finally converged upon this location. Our teams in Hiroshima and Tokyo have stopped the trains. They all report mission accomplished."_

"_And what about the final two targets? The girl and the robot?"_

"_We are to take the girl alive and destroy the robot. The orders came straight from the top."_

_A tall, skinny man came up to all the men leaving the garage, before lighting a cigarette and putting his gun in his pants._

"_Alright, men. Is everyone clear on the mission objective and situation?"_

"_Yes, sir!"_

"_Good. Good. Remember, this operation can only work if we all simultaneously do our jobs and do them correctly. Our targets have been sighted near the intersection of Meiji Boulevard and Showa Avenue. Our agents on the ground have specifically reported seeing them inside a diner on this very intersection…"_

"_Sir! What is the reliability of this information, sir!?"_

"_100 percent accurate. Our agents were _confronted_ by the target herself. Although they did not get an ID on the robot, they have confirmed that it is travelling with her. Use all caution available and make it home in one piece. If you die in this world, how will you enjoy the next? Now move out!"_

"_Yes, sir!"_

Several more vans came up from the main avenue, Yukari tried to run, but was cut off by another van. Aigis had to jump out of the way in order to prevent getting hit by another incoming van. She rolled on the ground, underneath another vehicle, and turned her head slightly to regain her bearings.

She shouldn't have done that.

What she saw, was Yukari getting hit and tied up by several men. They hit her over the head with a gun butt and carried her unconscious body into a nearby van. Metis stood there, in absolute confusion, as several of the men ignored her, before she spoke up…

"Um…sister?"

The driver of the van Aigis was underneath got out of his vehicle. She couldn't see _him_ exactly. Just a loud noise, like the sound her albieros make when they go off. And the body of Metis hitting the ground, filled with bullet holes.

Aigis was paralyzed. She heard the engine start up, but didn't move. The vans made a convoy out of the avenue, with a police car leading the way. She wasn't able to see the ID number of the police car, but afterwards, the van carrying Yukari followed, and then another. The van on top of her began to move, but before it did, she took her fingers and dug an extremely large gash in his 

neck so that her wiring began to show. She ripped out a small, silver device and latched it onto the bottom of the van. Apparently, her time as a mechanic hadn't failed her.

The remaining vehicles in the convoy made their escape, no one noticed Aigis on the ground. Because of her overalls and her position on the ground, she just looked like another casualty of the operation.

Even after the convoy left, Aigis remained motionless on the ground as the sirens grew louder and louder. And as Metis continued to lie motionless on the ground, Aigis had let another loved one die. She had broken her promise again…

"_Metis…Minato…Yukari…I will avenge you all."_

_One Year Earlier_

_Yukari and Junpei dug the grave. It was next to Shinjiro's gravesite. The tombstones for them both were official S.E.E.S. property, and so, they were both buried at S.E.E.S. headquarters at Yakushima. Although all of Minato's friends and acquaintances were permitted to the funeral at Iwatodai, only the remaining seven members of S.E.E.S. were permitted at the burial._

_The tombstone read:_

_Arisato Minato_

_1993-2010_

_Died in the service of_

_S.E.E.S._

_At the time, Yukari and Junpei had despised the tombstone. Despised the fact that S.E.E.S. would dare attach its name to his corpse…but he had given his life to save the world. If people like that still existed…If a mere seventeen year old could become a Messiah and deliver the world to rebirth from its destruction…why should they lose hope?_

_They all left the island that day, vowing never to return…_


	12. Just the Two of Us

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within, but Atlus does.

**Book II: L.O.S.T. in S.E.E.S.**

**Chapter XI: Just the Two of Us**

_Only this world's destruction will bring about its salvation…_

"_An estimated four-hundred died in yesterday's attack on Osaka. The NHK has received word that American news agency 'CNN' has received a video tape from a S.E.E.S. spokesperson claiming responsibility for the attack. L.O.S.T. admits fault at having been unable to prevent the disaster, however, they have disclosed to us a list of known S.E.E.S. leaders, two of which were apparently killed yesterday by L.O.S.T. special agents."_

_On the television, the pictures of Mitsuru Kirijo, Akihiko Sanada, Yukari Takeba, Junpei Iori, Fuuka Yamagishi, Ken Amada, and Metis appeared. The picture of Metis was taken after she had been shot. But something was strange, underneath Metis's picture was a caption that read "Aigis"_

"_L.O.S.T. claims to have killed Yukari Takeba, the apparent S.E.E.S. chief medical officer, and 'Aigis__', an apparent financier of S.E.E.S. No doubt, this will help bring their terrorist operations within the country to a halt. The Prime Minister, however, sees things differently. He has called for three days of national mourning as well as an increase in funding to combat S.E.E.S. and locate the remaining five terrorist leaders…"_

SOMEWHERE IN TOKYO

Koromaru walked the streets of the capital alone. He had managed to get the leash off of him, but still carried his signature dog suit and S.E.E.S. armband…but he was _hungry_.

If dogs could talk, Koromaru would be saying something along the lines of, "I miss everyone," and "I wish I could have something to eat."

But all he could do was roam the streets of Tokyo alone…

Aigis had resolved in her heart to find Metis's killers and Yukari's kidnappers, and _personally _kill them. This was much more than a mission for her, this was a vendetta.

She ducked and went into a crouching position on top of the train in order to avoid having her head taken off by the tunnel entrance. She had hitched a ride on an express train from Osaka to Tokyo, following the tracer signal that was being emitted from the tracking device she had planted on one of the vans used by Metis's killers.

The gash on her neck remained, but before she left Osaka, she had taken a piece of Metis's frame and welded it to her neck, thus creating a half-white, half-black throat. It would serve as an eternal reminder of her purpose in life and her promise to all those she had failed. Yukari. Metis. And Minato. She would avenge them even if it meant her life.

The darkness of the tunnel soon gave way to light, as the bullet train shot out from the tunnel at top speed, she could see the Tokyo skyline as a blur as she raced past it at one-hundred miles an hour.

"Here I go…give me strength…"

She jumped off of the train with amazing strength, gaining high altitude before doing several maneuvers in the air to slow her descent. She landed on her feet, legs bending as her momentum forced her to the ground, she used her palms to prevent her from falling, and then she started jumping. Jumping several meters at first, but, as she gained speed, she jumped higher, farther, faster. It was a truly awesome sight to behold, if only one could see her. She was currently in a small forest on the outskirts of the metropolis, but would be there soon.

Koromaru was licking his fur, just outside a small shop on a side street in a residential district of Tokyo. It had been two days since Ken disappeared. Koromaru wasn't a stupid dog, he knew something was up. He knew everything that everyone else knew. But what could he do? It wasn't as if he could use his persona right now, anyway…

He whimpered a little and stretched his paws by going for a walk. Their memories still fresh in his mind…

Koromaru knew how to look after himself. His time alone after the priest had gotten killed by a shadow taught him that. He could hunt rats and gorge himself to sleep…but something was missing. Something in his heart…He just didn't know.

A figure appeared for a split second, and blocked out the sun from Koromaru's eyes, and he began to bark…

Aigis was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, following the signal until she would be able to identify Metis's killer. She was passing over a small residential neighboring that, surprisingly, didn't have many tall buildings. She would have to move extra fast in order to avoid getting noticed by any of the locals. After the yesterday's events, she could not afford to get lost or get noticed…She wouldn't betray her promise like that…

As she jumped from building to building, her arms and hair swaying in the air, she began noticing extremely fine details on the ground. Especially the faces of everyone below her. She wasn't just fighting for Metis and Minato, she was fighting for these people too.

Jumping from a local convenience store, she landed briefly on top of a small tenement. That's when she noticed a familiar voice…or bark, really.

"Koro…maru?"

The dog was barking from below, wagging his tail every which way.

"Koromaru!"

He barked again and again.

"Oh, you want me to come down?" Aigis jumped down from the building, leaning over Koromaru as soon as she landed, and Aigis soon learned the truth behind what she had witnessed…

"_There was an attack on Tokyo last month. They mentioned Nyx on the TV, and Mitsuru had them all investigate. They got nowhere until a S.E.E.S. laptop was discovered by the police to have incriminating evidence. Since then, we've been on high alert, but it seems like we've been on the run. They came to the dorm, and almost killed us, but Officer Kurosawa sacrificed himself trying to save us…"_

"Kurosawa-san is dead!?" asked Aigis, her face twitching from this new revelation.

"_Yes, but there's more. Mitsuru had us scatter around the country in order to find out who attacked us. Fuuka ended up finding you in Osaka, and everyone was supposed to show up there to rendezvous, but…"_

"I didn't see anyone in Osaka except for Yukari-san!"

"_Yukari!? She quit S.E.E.S. last week! What was she doing in Osaka!?" _Koromaru barked. Some local men got angry and told Aigis to 'shut her damn dog up', but Koromaru kept speaking to Aigis.

"_Humans…can't show some damn respect. But…what was Yukari doing in Osaka, I wonder…"_

"If Yukari quit S.E.E.S., then that must mean that whoever is attacking S.E.E.S. isn't just interested in destroying the organization…they want to destroy the individual!"

"_I know who is attacking us. I was there when Fuuka and Mitsuru told us the news. It's an organization called the Legion of the Old Shadows of Tartarus, or L.O.S.T. for short."_

"Shut that mutt up, lady! Or I'll shut him up for ya'!" shouted one man out of a window. Of course, Aigis was totally oblivious to this right now, as was Koromaru, who was waiting for Aigis to answer.

"Then there's only one possibility...L.O.S.T. must be moved by the same motive that Strega and Ikutsuki were! They want to remove all opposition to their goals…but what are their goals?" Aigis looked genuinely confused.

"_It can't be much, judging from their name, other than the End of the World. They have Ken, and contact with everyone else in S.E.E.S. has been lost. I assume Yukari has been captured as well?"_

"Yes…she has…but I planted a tracking device on a vehicle that was involved in her capture. If we can find it, maybe we can find the others!"

"_Good job, Aigis-san! But we'd better hurry. It'll be nightfall in just a few more hours and we don't know what they plan on doing with everyone!"_

"I said, shut the damn dog up, lady!"

Aigis grabbed Koromaru and held him close, whispering in his ear, "hold on if you can."

Koromaru whined, before howling as he was lifted up several meters into the air by Aigis, who was now combing all of Tokyo, with Koromaru, looking for the signal to save their friends.

"Please, please give me the strength to find them…"

"_Please...please don't drop me"_

Koromaru let out one final howl, before Aigis headed for Tokyo Tower, the very start of this incident, to get a better broadcasting range from the device.

She had to hurry, there was only so much time left…


	13. The Lost, Part II

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is pwning n00bs around t3h world.

**Chapter XII: The Lost (Part II)**

_And then…at long last…I will rule over the new world!_

The first thing Yukari noticed when she woke up, was the taste of blood in her mouth and the extreme pain in the back of her head. The second thing she noticed, was that it was nighttime, and the moon was shining directly in their faces through a large window. And the third thing she noticed, was that she was tied to a cross, facing Tokyo Bay, along with everyone else in S.E.E.S. in a mysterious building with no lights

"Hey! Yuka-tan's awake!" shouted Junpei, who noticed Yukari moving.

"Welcome back to consciousness, Takeba. As you can see…we're…ahem…fucked. Oh my, that language was quite invigorating!" said Mitsuru, giggling at her bad word.

"W – where are we?" she asked, "and why does my head feel like hell? Augh." She began groaning, before Akihiko brought her up to speed on their current situation.

"We were all kidnapped by the L.O.S.T. It looks like you were the only one they had to take by force. They knocked us all out with some chemical…"

"Ugh – where are they, now?"

It was Ken who answered this time. He had been strapped to his cross for more than two days now, and he looked like he was under considerably more stress than the others.

"When they brought you in here, the guards all left, they haven't been back, since. That's strange, because there's always at least five guards in here."

"Wait…the Moon…doesn't it look – " Fuuka spoke up, but couldn't finish what she was trying to say. The steel door behind them opened, and while they couldn't see whoever it was, they knew it had to be their captors.

"Hey! Whoever just came in, what do you want with us!" shouted Akihiko. He sounded pissed, but of course, everyone in S.E.E.S. was seething, they were just _very_ good at controlling their anger.

"You? What do we want with you? You don't interest us!" the man shouted back. He bore a thick Kansai accent, and his voice was rugged. "Let me see…" He walked around towards their 

steel crosses, a flashlight in hand, and a PDA in another. In the PDA was a picture of all the members in S.E.E.S. and a short bio.

"Let me see…let me see…Mitsuru Kirijo: Artemisia of The Empress Arcanum. Akihiko Sanada: Caesar of The Emperor Arcanum. Junpei Iori: Trismegistus of The Magician Arcanum. Fuuka Yamagishi: Juno of The Priestess Arcanum…"

"W – what the hell are you doing!?" shouted Junpei. The man simply increased the intensity of the flashlight and shined it in Junpei's face.

"Be quiet and this will not…_hurt_…let me see, where was I…ah, yes! Ken Amada: Kala-Nemi of the Justice Arcanum. And finally…oh, hello, you're…pretty. Yukari Takeba: Isis of The Lovers Arcanum…It's a shame it had to be like this, really," the man looked down on the floor with sad eyes, "I could have had _so_ much fun with you." He looked back up at Takeba, who merely split blood at him. It almost hit his boot. Almost.

"Naughty girl we are? Well, have some rest. We will be back soon…we are just waiting for the Opportune Time…good night now."

The man turned off his flashlight and went back to the steel door in the back, "sleep well now!" He said in a cheery voice, before closing the door and leaving them alone in the dark once again.

"You sleep well in hell, _asshole_!" yelled Akihiko, struggling to break free of the bonds that held him to the cross. "Damn it!"

"What did he mean that he wasn't interested in us?" asked Junpei.

"I don't know…_but if I get my hands on that pervert_…" Yukari started to mutter to herself, while Mitsuru and Fuuka were in deep though…or, if one were an _extremely_ spiritually aware individual, deep conversation.

"_Fuuka, do you think you can overlap your analysis with mine?"_

"_I can try…but…I haven't done this before, I've only read about it in the – "_

"_It's okay, Fuuka. It's my first time doing this, too. Now, I want you to project your persona into the front of your mind. I think I'm doing it right now."_

"_Hmm…okay, done! Now what?"_

"_Now, I want you to start something simple, like human mind analysis."_

"_You call that simple, Mitsuru-senpai!"_

"_Relax, Fuuka. I've observed your technique before, and you use Shadow Analysis on the human mind, which is definitely more difficult to do. I just want you to think of someone very close to you. A best friend or a relative, for example…"_

"_O –okay…ah! What…what is this? There's a lot of spiritual emission coming from Natsuki-chan!"_

"_Damn! Fuuka, don't think about Natsuki, think about someone else, quick!"_

"_But…I…I can't…help…i – it…"_

Fuuka's head dipped a little on her cross. She had passed out.

"Damn it!" shouted Mitsuru.

"What happened?" asked Akihiko, still struggling to break free of the cross.

"I tried to link Juno and Artemisia together in order to control our surroundings…it didn't work. Fuuka just doesn't have enough control."

"You can do that?" asked Junpei, curious about what they were trying to do.

"Yes. Theoretically, you can 'fuse' two or more personas in order to create a persona which is exponentially more powerful. I've only read about the procedure though, and it's effects are only temporary."

"How temporary?" asked Akihiko.

"It depends on which text you use, but according to our handbook, it says ten seconds."

"_Ten_ seconds? What could you do in ten seconds?" asked Junpei.

"Nothing much…just release us from these crosses and…oh, yeah. Probably turn the Tokyo Tower into jelly. Like I said, a fused persona is exponentially times more powerful than its component personas."

"Or at least _theoretically_," deadpanned Yukari. "This isn't the time to be conducting experiments. We were kidnapped, taken to some random warehouse, then tied to…hey, what's that sound?"

Bells could be heard ringing in the distance. The members of S.E.E.S. could hear laughter outside the building, to be replaced by chanting soon afterwards.

"_Nyx is dead_

_Nyx is dead_

_Beware the Reaper_

_Beware the Reaper_

_It is Death_

_Death comes_

_Death goes_

_Death is all and everlasting_

_God is dead_

_God is dead_

_All have died_

_All have died_

_The Earth shall turn to ashes_

_The ashes shall turn to clay_

_The clay shall turn into rock_

_And we shall mold the rock into our sword_

_You will die_

_You will die_

_We will die_

_We will die_

_For our Lord_

_All if Great_

_Bring about_

_The End of the World"_

"What the hell…gah!" Akihiko exclaimed as soon as he felt a jolt in his cross. Their view of the moon was becoming distorting…Their crosses were moving.

A long procession of men in robes entered through the steel door, and machinery could be heard hard at work as the roof began to open up to the sky.

As moonlight finally poured into the building, illuminating everything as soon as the roof gave way, Akihiko and everyone else could clearly see what was happening.

Their crosses had shifted to become a semicircle. While they still had a view of the moon outside the window, they could clearly see a massive pentagram drawn in blood in the center of the building, and a strange, green, glowing device in the center.

"Ah, you have no _idea_ how many virgins I had to kill to make this thing, you guys sure have some great literature, huh?" It was the same man from before, stepping into the pentagram and looking at the faces of everyone in S.E.E.S. He was reading a book, which he held in his left hand.

"What, you guys don't recognize the cover? C'mon! You should know! Hah! You of _all_ people should know!" He held the book up high, before Mitsuru gasped and stared between him and the book. It had a pure crimson backing, with it's title and author etched in pure silver on the cover.

"W – where did you get that?"

"Oh, finally you remember! Ahem…Let me read the title page for you all..._The Gospel According to Mary, Official Property of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad_! Hah!"

"That can't be possible..." muttered Mitsuru, "that book is kept in the high-security vault at.."

"I _know_ where it was kept, little lady," replied the man, "I have it, don't I?"

"Mitsuru, what is that!?" asked Akihiko, before the man opened his mouth and answered for her.

"Just a guidebook on destroying the world. You guys just keep _everything_ lying around, don't you? That laptop was a _steal_! Get it, a steal! Hah!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" shouted Yukari, "why are you doing this!?"

"Ahem, let me just read from the Good Book, shall I?"

"_And the world shall spill with blood. The oceans and rivers of the world shall turn red with the liquid. And the sky shall turn as green as the trees. And the moon as yellow as gold. And the Messiah shall bring Salvation to all those who believe! And after a period of slumber, the Dark Messiah shall commence The Fall. And Mankind shall engineer his Doom by producing the quantities of seven-hundred virgins from the four corners of the Earth. And The crosses shall be made of the strongest metal, to which those who Defile the Appriser of Death shall be hung from them. And, upon the Advance of Mankind to his darkest hour of sin, a device capable of wrenching the very _soul_ from one's body shall be used to engineer his Demise._"

"W – what the hell?" said Junpei, but it was too late.

"Let's have some fun, shall we? Throw the switch!"

A man in combat fatigues ran over to a large electrical panel, and began pushing buttons and turning knobs in a specific order.

All the lights outside Tokyo were put out, indeed, every energy source within Japan was harnessed for this reaction, and all artificial light, even the man's flashlight, was put out. If only for a brief second.

All energy was tapped and for a moment, the very _atoms_ in the air stopped moving. The oceans stood still, the wind stopped blowing, nothing moved, and nothing made a sound.

And then…


	14. Palacio del Diablo

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus. I own my soul, though. Does that count?

**Chapter XIII: Palacio del Diablo**

_Everything they said was true…it's really happening! The End of the World!_

Tartarus. It was formed after an experiment gone wrong conducted under the auspices of the Kirijo Group, who, at the time, was attempting to control the power of the Shadows. It's origin clear to S.E.E.S., they found out it had a much darker _purpose_. It's existence was originally believed to be a Shadow nest of some sort…oh, how ignorance is bliss.

S.E.E.S. eventually discovered that the Shadows only existed to welcome the Harbinger of Death into the world, which would descend upon the world once thirteen mystical shadows were reunited. The Harbinger of Death would then land on Tartarus, and use it as a throne…or a base, whichever terminology one used, to destroy the world.

On January 31, 2010, S.E.E.S. effectively halted the end of the world, and a process which had been planned and laid out for well over two-thousand years…

But one cannot stop the inevitable.

"Augh!"

"Ah!"

"Ahhh!"

The members of S.E.E.S. were screaming at the top of their lungs. The pain was _unbearable_, and several of them drifted in and out of consciousness because of the pain. It was as if someone was ripping their organs out of their body. Their heads felt like they were about to explode and their hearts were beating at well over the fatal limit under normal circumstances.

Through his clenched eyes, Akihiko could see the man was clearly smiling. He was _enjoying_ this. His body was burning up, sweat started to pour down everyone's faces and wet their clothing. Drops of blood began dripping from their skin.

"Yes…that's it…that's it. Lend yourselves to a cause that's greater than yourselves. Help usher in the New Beginning!" the man shouted.

"Bring Nyx back to life! Bring it all back! Hah! Lend us your _power_! Become martyrs for this righteous cause!" He was laughing now, the other men in the room began to pray. Not to God, but to Nyx.

"_Oh, Harbinger of Death!_

_Oh, Dark Messiah!_

_Lord of Hell!_

_And Gatekeeper of Destruction!_

_War!_

_Pestilence!_

_Famine!_

_Disease!_

_Bring them forth!_

_We usher you in!_

_We usher you in!_

_Nyx!"_

The moonlight became twisted. Reality seemed to subside as a sea of pain washed over S.E.E.S.

None of them could take this, but then again, maybe they could?

??

"_Where are we?" asked Yukari._

"_Let me check…" replied Fuuka._

_The various members of S.E.E.S. had landed in a…well, none of them knew what it was. It was just nothingness. They were surrounded by white on all sides._

"_Oh my – I…I don't sense _anything_. Nothing at all!" said Fuuka, after the group waited apprehensively for several minutes._

"_That can't be right…we were in Tokyo, getting tortured by some sadistic maniac just a few minutes ago," said Akihiko._

"_But, it's strange. We were tied to crosses and tortured…but I feel good as new!" said Ken, who started running around on the white plain._

"_Ken, be careful – wait…I do feel refreshed. What on Earth?" said Mitsuru._

"_Hey guys, look!" shouted Junpei, who pointed at a small black speck on what appeared to be the horizon._

"_What…is that?" asked Fuuka. The speck was becoming larger and larger each second, and soon it came over them like a wave. The beauty of the universe unfolded before their eyes, and S.E.E.S. witnessed the birth and death of stars, the collision of galaxies, and even an alien species beginning their first forays into outer space._

"_Whoa!" shouted Junpei. "This is _some_ acid trip."_

"_Damn it, Junpei!" shouted Akihiko, who was nevertheless just as stunned as Junpei was._

"_Wait a minute…wait…no…no!"_

??

"_I…love you, Junpei…"_

"_Aki, take care of him for me…"_

"_I can't believe you're this strong!"_

"_It is true, we made mistakes…"_

"_Take care, Yukari…"_

"_Don't get in my way!"_

"_I will reign over the new world!"_

"_Yukari, I…"_

"_You have one month to decide."_

"Ah!"

Alarms and klaxons started going off in the building. The members of S.E.E.S. were screaming, but not because of the pain…

"What's going on, status report!" shouted the man.

"I don't know, sir! We're getting more spirit energy than we expected! I'm trying to contain –" the glass on the panel shattered, sending several pieces into the soldier's throat. He collapsed, dead on the floor.

"Damn it! You_ demons_." The man attempted to point his gun at S.E.E.S., but there was an apparent _field_ around them. He could visibly see time and space distorting around him, as the dimensions of the universe began to shift.

"Damn it," he got on his radio, attempting to hail his other units. The men in robes simply sat on the floor, praying.

"All units come in – come in, damn it! Respond…" he shouted louder and louder each time he hailed on the radio, before the radio shut off. The moon stopped shining for a few seconds, and the world was thrust into darkness…

TOKYO TOWER

Aigis was sitting on the top of Tokyo Tower, a shaking Koromaru in her hands, trying to get a lock on the signal of the vehicle she had attached the tracking device to. She sat there, concentrating as hard as she could, before a massive force of spirit emissions hit her. The 

shockwave sent chills through her body and she struggled to stay on the tower. She could use her overdrive mode to stay grounded, Koromaru couldn't. As she struggled to keep a hold of him, she felt her hands losing grip on his paws, all the while he was barking at the new presence.

She had decided, then, at that moment, that in order to keep her promise, in order to protect those under her wings, she would have to let go of the rail and save Koromaru any way she could. Quickly, as Koromaru was whining and howling, Aigis let herself get thrown off the tower, with Koromaru stuffed safely in her bosom, wrapped by her arms.

She spread her legs to reduce her terminal velocity, using one arm to hold Koromaru as tight as she could, and using the other to reach for a beam to grab on to on the way down. She almost managed to grasp one, but it was out of her reach, but as she neared the base of the tower, the steel beams got closer and closer to her hands, so that after a fall of over two hundred meters, she was able to grab onto a single beam and hold onto it long enough to stabilize both Koromaru and herself. Koromaru was whimpering and trying to stuff his face into Aigis's protection.

"There, there, Koromaru. We didn't fall completely…Look at the view…It's so…pretty."

She stared out towards the city, with his gleaming lights and bustling traffic. Koromaru, too, held his gaze upon Tokyo, if only for a mere second.

Then…darkness. She felt nothing but evil spirit emissions around her, and Koromaru starting barking again. That was before the sky lit up once again.

From an abandoned warehouse somewhere near the Bay, a bright green beam of light seemed to surge from the ground to the sky. Aigis could see that it was powerful enough to illuminate the entire city and bask it in a green glow. The Moon, which was directly overhead by this time of night, was also directly in the path of the beam.

And as soon as it hit the Moon...everything changed.

At first, the outbreak was contained to the spot where the beam had hit the Moon, but Aigis could see it expanding. A yellow stain on the white moon that continued to grow and engulf the entire surface of the satellite. It's Darkness spread beyond the Moon, and lit up the black space with green fire. The clouds that had been in the sky before the incident were now turning a deep crimson…and it started to rain. It started to rain blood. Deep red blood, so rich in color that there was a massive contrast between the blood and the tower. The rain continued in intensity, until the city was no longer being blanketed under a raincloud of blood, but a river of blood stretched from the tower to the sky.

Aigis quickly let go after that point. She dropped over one hundred meters to the concrete below, being sure to get in a position in which Koromaru would not be injured from the impact, and as she hit the ground, a bright orange light engulfed Tokyo…

TOKYO BAY

Where there had once been fishing boats and ferries. Piers and amusement parks, there was now a massive Lake of Fire. The entirety of Tokyo Bay was transformed into a flaming lake, green lightning striking at seemingly random points across its surface.

However, not all was done in this grisly transformation. As the fire burned and engulfed Tokyo in its light, the fires in the center of the lake began to die out for no apparent reason whatsoever. And from the clash of the darkness and the light, a building rose from the bottom of the Lake of Fire. Topped with a massive dome, it was supported by columns made from human bones, and stained with blood. It was the Palacio del Diablo. Some say it was given the name by its resident himself, but those in the paranormal community deduced that the Spanish expedition to El Dorado had, just before their tragic disappearance, recorded and documented the Palacio del Diablo: the Palace of the Devil.


	15. The 25th Hour

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus…I'll think of something witty to say in the disclaimer next chapter.

**Chapter XIV: The 25****th**** Hour**

_Please…forgive us_

As the sky turned green and blood began to fill the halls of the abandoned warehouse, many members of the L.O.S.T. either threw their hands in the air in celebration or realized they didn't have the guts to continue fighting. Some of their members were just kids, thinking it would be "fun" to engage in radical activities to bring about the "end of the world". They didn't realize they were playing around with three-thousand year old magic.

"My God…what have they done…?" Mitsuru asked silently. Nobody heard her, really. In all fairness, she was the bravest one in the city to try speaking. Everyone, even the L.O.S.T. commander who had tortured them, was staring stupidly and intently at the Palace and the Lake of Fire.

"T – This is glorious! Everything was true! We followed the code! The world will be reborn into paradise!" he shouted towards the sky.

"Nyx! We offer our lives to you! Take us with you to the New World!" he knelt down on his knees, arms raised towards the sky, when a shot rang from the quiet night. The shooter, a shadowy figure, as far as S.E.E.S. could see, blew the smoke from his gun and checked the pulse of the commander.

"Hm…still alive?" he raised his gun and shot the man twice in the back, before turning his face to S.E.E.S. None of them could see his face, but he saw theirs.

"I have spent an entire _year_ in Hell for what you did to me…I _will_ kill you. That much can be assured. The fool that I just shot merely wanted to kill you…but make no mistake, you will suffer unimaginably when I get my hands on you all…I must be going now, as your friend will be arriving soon…but I shall see you again."

Just as quickly as the shadowy figure had appeared, he left. Aigis, along with a dazed Koromaru, arrived soon after.

"Aigis! Get us down, hurry!" Yukari ordered.

Once she had put Koromaru down, Aigis merely nodded towards Yukari and used her albieros to shoot the locks on their crosses, releasing them in the same fashion she had done so long ago.

"Koromaru!" Ken cried, as he ran towards Koromaru. The dog tackled him and instantly started licking his face, while Ken laughed at his new liberty in life.

"What happened?" inquired Aigis, wondering as to why the members of S.E.E.S. were tied to crosses in the middle of the reappearance of the Dark Hour.

"I – I don't know…Fuuka, can you analyze us all to make sure we're all okay?" Mitsuru asked.

"Um, okay. Here I go…" Fuuka muttered, calling out Juno…but, she didn't appear. "That's odd. I can't call Juno…"

"Aigis, can _you_ analyze us all, please?" Mitsuru then asked.

"Yes. Please hold o – your personas have all suffered sever damage…what happened here?"

"What do you mean '_severe damage'_" inquired Akihiko, worried that he might not be able to strike back at the L.O.S.T.

"It seems as if someone has tried to _rip_ your personas from your souls…that…that should have killed you all!" she cried out, looking at them all as if they were ghosts.

"Killed us? We're fine! Don't worry – okay, ow, that hurt!" Junpei cringed in pain as he got up from the floor, trying his best to sound manly and tough.

"Wait a minute…do any of you recall a time during that…experiment? Do you recall a white plain of some sort and then hearing voices call out to you?" Fuuka asked, her hands raised to her chest in anxiety.

"Wait a minute…yeah! I do remember that! I heard Shinjiro's voice!" Akihiko said, his voice getting louder as he spoke.

"Yes…and I heard…my father…and…_him_," Yukari muttered, but it was still loud enough to illicit stares from the rest of the team.

"Yukari-chan…" Fuuka said quietly.

"Y'know, I heard Chidori's voice as well…do you think they were watching over us?" asked Junpei, his face breaking into a smile, "because, if they were, then –"

"No," said Ken. His face turned serious as he turned away from Koromaru and back towards the group, "because I heard Ikutsuki's voice there as well. And Jin's. _And _Takaya's…They were all there, speaking to us…"

"But, that's –" Junpei was cut off.

"Impossible? Chidori killed herself to save you. Ikutsuki and Takehiro, whom I also heard in that…place, they both shot each other. Yukari's father was killed in the incident twelve years ago, and _he_…_he_ died saving the world. They're all _dead_, so how does that make any sense?" asked Ken, honestly dumbfounded.

"I think they – " Yukari tried to speak, but was cut off by Aigis.

"Everyone, it is wonderful that you all survived, but I am detecting a three percent loss of spirit energy by you all at an hourly rate. If this keeps up, I predict you will all die within thirty-six hours."

"Die!? What!? No, no, no, no, no, no!" Junpei said, "I'm too young to die!" he cried.

"You will not die. S.E.E.S. headquarters in Yakushima has facilities which can handle this type of situation. I still have the access key to the complex. I recommend we leave now," Aigis said, this time in her monotone robotic voice instead of one that sounded more human.

"But – but what about the Dark Hour!?" cried Junpei.

"We can't do anything about the Dark Hour until our personas have been healed," replied Mitsuru, "However, Aigis, it seems that they know about our headquarters. I saw an item in…wait, is it still on him!?" Mitsuru ran over to the corpse of the L.O.S.T. commander, before retrieving a small crimson bound book from his possession.

"The Gospel According to Mary…this was one of the treasures locked in a high-security vault at S.E.E.S. headquarters…they've already been there…" said Mitsuru, her voice cracking.

"But…Mitsuru-san…that's impossible, no one but me has the neural code for the security systems there," replied Aigis, her face in utter confusion.

"It's like we deduced before. _Someone_ must've left a record behind before the Battle with Nyx, so that someone else could take the helm and bring about the End of the World should Nyx be defeated…but the question remains…who?"

"If we can manage to get some weapons, we should be safe until our personas are healed, right?" asked Akihiko, "plus, we have Aigis to protect us in a worst-case scenario," he added.

"Mitsuru-san, I believe it would be in your best interests to come with me to Yakushima and bide your time there until you have all fully recovered…" Aigis said, walking up to Mitsuru and gripping her shoulder slightly.

"And what if the L.O.S.T. has compromised the compound!?" she snapped, causing Aigis to step back a bit. "I'm sorry, Aigis…it's just…"

"Don't worry. I won't let anyone else I care for get killed," Aigis said, letting go of Mitsuru and looking up at the open sky. The Moon would be so beautiful if it weren't tainted by the Dark 

Hour. And in a few seconds, it wasn't. The moon turned white once again, the glow of the Lake of Fire disappeared, and the sights and sounds of the surrounding city returned to normal. The Dark Hour was over, for now, and Koromaru arched his back and began howling at the full moon. The warehouse, fully illuminated now, was deserted except for S.E.E.S. and the corpse of the L.O.S.T. commander. They could hear sirens in the distance, whether it meant another or not was of no importance to them. They had come too far to get caught now.

They left the warehouse, the body still inside, and simply sat on the wharf until daybreak. The girls laid down, Mitsuru's head resting on Akihiko's lap; Fuuka and Yukari using their sweaters as pillows. And Koromaru let Ken use him as a pillow. The dog didn't mind, they were both fast asleep before long.

And Junpei took a long walk along the wharf, said something unintelligible to Aigis, and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

As for Aigis herself, she looked to the night sky as if to see an angel there, and wondered where _he_ was right now.


	16. The Trip to Yakushima

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which made 27 Billion yen last year.

**Chapter XV: The Trip to Yakushima**

_There it is! Ya-ku-shi-MA!_

When Junpei got back to the warehouse in the morning, he had sunglasses on his head, bags under his eyes, and bags in both of his hands.

"Where were _you_," Yukari asked him in a rather condescending tone, using her cardigan as a towel to dry her hair.

He took an item out of the bag and threw it in the air for Yukari to catch.

"What the hell? Ass!" she shouted at him, before she looked down at what she held in her hand. It was a small backpack, obviously filled with objects. "What in the hell…" Yukari looked up at him puzzled, but Junpei nudged his head and urged her to open it.

"Takeba, what's up?" asked Mitsuru. Yukari shushed her.

Opening the zipper on the backpack slowly, she looked inside, and there it was. Gleaming like the first time she saw it, were an evoker and a S.E.E.S. armband.

"Junpei, I – " Yukari tried to object, but he told her there was more in the bag.

Yes, there were more items inside the bag, including a change of clothes for Yukari, a _real_ gun, apparently fully loaded, and a small MP3 player…_his_ MP3 player…

"Where did you get this!?" she asked loudly, getting off the ground as Junpei began handing out other bags to his friends.

"_You_ have obviously never gone drinking with him before. If you had, you would have known that he sent his MP3 player to get repaired by a friend here in Tokyo. I picked it up for you while I was shopping for supplies," Junpei said, as he passed out the final bag to Fuuka, which also included a small cookbook.

"He drank?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Every Saturday, we went out with Kenji and Kazushi and drank our troubles away…he _always_ talked about you…I hope you know that," Junpei said, looking at the ground, his eyes half closed.

"Junpei, where did you get all of this?" inquired Mitsuru.

"Yeah…even _I_ couldn't get real weaponry off the black market," said Akihiko. That comment garnered him a glare from Mitsuru, as if she were asking him to repeat what he just said.

"Another benefit of drinking with the guy. Apparently he knew this big TV exec…what was his name again…it began with a T…" Junpei thought hard, holding his chin with his hand before Mitsuru gasped as she figured out the answer.

"President Tanaka of Tanaka Corporation! He knew _him_! That no good, filty, low-life –"

"Say all you want, but he was the one that gave us the pistols. I told him Minato was dead, that we were his friends, and we needed help…but, there was a price…"

"And that would be?" Mitsuru asked. Junpei was about to open his mouth, before a man dressed in a business suit walked out from around the corner of the warehouse.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that at this time, Madame Kirijo. Junpei, that means you keep your mouth shut, too," President Tanaka was a handsome man. Sunglasses, nice Armani suit, a cigarette in his mouth and a handkerchief in the breast pocket. Here was a man of _class_.

"Junpei has acted for your entire organization. Signing a contract that will no doubt earn me millions upon millions of yen and help me expand overseas…"

Mitsuru and Akihiko glared at Junpei, who merely shrugged, before Tanaka continued.

"Oh, you shouldn't punish the dear boy! I've heard his story. Indeed, it seemed a bit hard to believe, but after he gave me the deal of a lifetime, I just could _not_ refuse to help you all out…now, my limousine in waiting around the corner, won't you join me on my yacht to my resort at Yakushima?"

"I'll never associate myself with _you_, Tanaka – wait…where did you say you were taking us?" Mitsuru asked, looking between Junpei and President Tanaka.

"Are you deaf, Miss Kirijo? I said _Ya-ku-shi-ma_," he snapped his fingers and a rather large, black limousine was driven around the corner of the warehouse, sending everyone's jaws, even Mitsuru's, dropping.

"You can thank your deceased friend for the yacht. Have you ever seen our Tanaka Swimwear? He did an ad for it last year and sales increased by a few hundred percent, actually," Tanaka threw away the cigarette, beckoning them all to come by him and get in the car. The back door popped automatically as soon as he got near, and he was the first inside.

Once S.E.E.S. was comfortably inside the limo, the driver began pulling away from the warehouse, heading to the marina.

"Anyone want a smoke?" asked Tanaka, pulling another cigarette out of the pack and lighting it with a match.

"Yeah, I need one," said Takeba, the rest of S.E.E.S. startled by her reaction, her hands trembling from addiction and sorrow…why did Junpei have to give her that damned thing? Tanaka lit a match and let Yukari light her cigarette from his hands, before he blew it out and resumed to business.

"Now, see, I think I bear some responsibility for this young man's death, which is truly a tragedy, because he was not only a great model for men's underwear…No, he was much more than that, as my pupil, he could've become anything he wanted one day, but –"

"Your _pupil_? You bastard, how dare you!" shouted Mitsuru, her face filling with scorn and disgust.

Tanaka merely inhaled more and continued, "as I said, I bear _some_ fault for his death. And the only reason I'm helping you people today is because I _know_ for a _fact_ that Mr…uh, Junpei, was it? I know for a _fact_ that Junpei wasn't lying about his story!" Tanaka was becoming impatient with Mitsuru.

"Mitsuru, what's –" Junpei tried to ask, before Tanaka cut in and explained why Akihiko and Mitsuru were so pissed at him.

Twelve years ago, Mitsuru's grandfather had launched the Tartarus Project, a plan designed to capture and harness the power of the Shadows. Although the Kirijo Group was the main sponsor for the project, two other corporations were heavily involved. And several other non-Kirijo executives served on the Board of Trustees for the Tartarus Project.

As it so happened, Tanaka Corporation was one of the companies that was actively involved in the experiments. President Tanaka himself served on the Board of Trustees. He was also the one to cast a tie-breaking vote _in-favor_ of continuing shadow capture and experimentation. It was the last time the Board of Trustees met before The Incident.

Tanaka survived, and in the general economic disarray that followed, used the disorder caused by the accident to increase his own fortunes…

When he told S.E.E.S. this, many of them looked at him in shock, completely unable to comprehend why he would do such an inhumane thing.

"Of course…that young man taught me a valuable lesson in life, and Tanaka Corporation is now one of the largest private donors of humanitarian aid in the world," he added, desperate to save his image to potential customers.

"Personally, I don't see what everyone is so worked up about," said Yukari nonchalantly, taking the cigarette out of her mouth for but a second, "Mitsuru, your father was involved in The Incident as well. He _personally oversaw_ some of the operations conducted at our school…"

"My father atoned for his sins, he fought for justice! But this – this man…" She desperately tried to argue, but was cut off by Yukari, eager to defend President Tanaka.

"And President Tanaka is fighting for justice now, too! We have less than thirty hours to live unless we make it to Yakushima! Do you honestly believe we can arrive there in time without private transportation when we're wanted as terrorists!" Yukari said loudly. The other members of S.E.E.S. fell silent fast.

"Nice," said Tanaka, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and pointing it at Yukari, "very nice."

"Thanks. By the way, the kid's name was Minato Arisawa. The one in your swimsuit commercials," she notified him.

"Ah. You've seen them on the TV, then?" asked Tanaka, his face turning into a smile.

"Actually, he…uh…" she tried to struggle for words.

"_Oh_. I see…you were his _lover_, then?" Tanaka said, grinning from ear to ear.

"T – that's not it at all!" she stammered, almost choking on the cigarette, then almost dropping it onto her cardigan.

"Don't worry, I won't tell a _soul_, especially not the tabloids. Did he tell you he was popular with _those_ types of magazines, as well?"

"Damn it, Tanaka!"

And so, on the road to the marina, on their way to Yakushima, S.E.E.S. would rediscover their destiny. Rediscover long lost secrets that begged to be found. Secrets which would prove to be their savior…and their demise.


	17. The Invincible Island

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: sultA ot gnoleb yehT. nihtiw sretcarahc yna ro, TMS, 3 anosreP nwo ton od I.

**Chapter XVI: The Invincible Island**

_It was regretful…but, there were casualties…_

Here it was, it's entrance hidden underneath the base of an extremely large tree. It required an electronic access key as well as a separate biometric identity scan. The door was made of one meter thick steel, programmed to seal permanently unless at least one member of S.E.E.S. was present for the unlocking mechanism. You needed to present a genuine S.E.E.S. armband to a scanner for this to happen.

The armbands we actually extremely high-tech devices, developed by S.E.E.S. to be an all-in-one support device while being extremely light. They acted as biometric scanners, life-scanners, GPS systems, and more. And all their features could be accessed via any S.E.E.S. computer.

"Are you ready, Aigis?" asked Mitsuru, who was holding her armband up to the scanner, and placing her palm on a small pad to her right.

"Yes, I am ready when you are," replied Aigis. She had disconnected one of her hands and was holding the stump of wiring up to a small hole in the wall.

"Three…two…one…now!"

As soon as Aigis inserted her hand into the hole, a laser beam cut across the entranceway and began scanning Mitsuru's armband. The pad on which her hand was resting was glowing as well, and it wasn't long before it all stopped, and one could hear the clicking of locks and the groaning of steel from inside the door.

"It worked!"

Built eight years ago, the structure was still one of the safest places to be in the event of any paranormal or conventional attack. Only those who knew where it was could find it, and even then, you needed at least two members of S.E.E.S. (one of which had to be robotic, or otherwise carry a special security key) to open the main access door.

Once inside, you needed to pass through a grand hanger, shielded by several meters of reinforced concrete and steel, monitored by several dozen security cameras and sensors, and guarded by over one-hundred security androids.

At the end of the hanger was a single elevator. Between the hanger and the next level was nothing more than two kilometers of pure elevator shaft and earth.

And once inside the main complex, you would still need to present yourself as a member of S.E.E.S. by reciting the S.E.E.S. Oath of Guidance to a computer controlled voice recognition system…

Needless to say…with Mitsuru around – the original designer of the facility – the trip to the main complex took a lot less time than she would've hoped for in simulation tests.

A large metallic plaque hung from the ceiling, gleaming in precious metals and gems. On it read:

_WELCOME TO S.E.E.S. HEADQUARTERS – YAKUSHIMA_

_DUM VIVIMUS SERVIMUS_

President Tanaka was invited to the facility under an oath of secrecy. He agreed, and, as he took his glasses off, this was one of the more somber moments in his life.

"Where do you guys get the funding for this?" he asked, honestly astonished by the architecture and the security. The ceiling was held up by marble columns richly engraved with scenes from various myths and religions from around the world. The carpet was entirely Persian rug, and the walls were lined with either various artifacts and exhibits or computer displays.

"The Kirijo Group has been financing S.E.E.S. for its entire history. This facility is actually still under construction…sadly, since the authorities know I am a Kirijo and believe I am a terrorist, S.E.E.S. will probably lose funding until after this is over," she said, as the group walked through the massive halls of the entrance complex.

They came to two large steel blast doors painted in yellow and red with the words "FIRE DOOR" painted in pure black on their faces.

"Computer, open doors 1-A and 1-B!" Mitsuru yelled.

"Granted, Mitsuru Kirijo, access to sub-sector C is now clear."

Yellow warning lights began to flash above the doors, before they slowly separated, revealing yet another elevator.

"If you would all come with me, I would like to show everyone to their rooms and, President Tanaka, if you will excuse us afterwards, S.E.E.S. has some urgent business to attend to," Mitsuru said, extending her arm towards the elevator. Everyone got in and Mitsuru pressed the button to the only other floor the elevator serviced: the residential block. Everyone was quiet in the elevator, until Mitsuru brought up a conversation.

"Don't you all think it's curious…That of all of man's myths and religions, he can only get it half right?"

"What do you mean?" asked Yukari, truly perplexed.

"All of mankind's Gods have been proven to be false or otherwise among the same ranks as other universal spirits, such as our personas…and yet…Lucifer, Satan, Hell, Tartarus, the Lake of Fire, demons, vampires, gargoyles, and, of course, shadows. They are all present within this realm…why is it that the Great Evils of Man are true and not the Greater Good?" she asked. A philosophical topic, perhaps. But right now, every member of S.E.E.S. was dying a slow, painless death. Philosophy was the name of the game to keep them out of depression.

"Perhaps it is because…I don't want to sound preachy here…maybe we're the Greater Good? Not S.E.E.S., but humanity. Maybe our ability to challenge Fate and tempt the universe has replaced a need for a God," said Yukari.

"Indeed, we humans are a resilient species…aren't those your own words, Mitsuru?" Junpei asked. He had forgotten when he had stopped calling her Mitsuru-senpai and simply "Mitsuru". He couldn't recall. Perhaps the bonds they had all forged over the past two years eliminated the need for memories. Memories were temporal, but their friendship would last forever.

The elevator 'dinged' as they reached the residential block and Mitsuru showed them all their rooms, with the exception of Aigis, who ran down a hall towards the medical facilities. Although there were only nine of them, the residential block's hallways seemed to never end. Mitsuru explained why…

"When this facility was first built, it was assumed that S.E.E.S. could expand into the general population and become a professional organization…as experience has told us, however, that was not the case…" she said as she opened up each individual door, ordering her subordinates to unpack as soon as possible so that they could resume normal operations.

Just before they all got ready to move into their new rooms, Aigis's voice rang out from the speaker system, _"Mitsuru, can you have everyone report to the medical complex? I have booted up the machines that will heal your personas."_

"You heard her! President Tanaka, if you would stay in your room…" Mitsuru asked of him, slightly nodding her head.

"I understand, but hey, where's the room service!?" He slightly joked, earning him a death glare from Mitsuru.

"S.E.E.S., move out to the medical complex, on the double!"

The members of S.E.E.S. nodded their heads, before Mitsuru led them down the hallway that Aigis had gone down earlier. The halls around them were deep crimson in color, with a violet carpet floor and a silver stripe running horizontally across both walls, before coming to a stop in front of another steel door. This time, however, the door read "MEDICAL COMPLEX".

"Aigis, we're here. Open the door," shouted Mitsuru through the steel.

"_Understood_." They could hear through the speaker system, before the door opened up and beckoned them into a pristine white, circular room, with steel doors on several sides of it.

"_Please enter into the spirit energy enrichment lab."_ Aigis said, her voice still in a far off location, but still ever present among them. One of the doors to their left opened. It was another brightly lit room, with several chairs within it. Machinery and computers were everywhere and there was a large red "globe" in the center of the floor – perfectly aligned with another green globe on the ceiling.

"_Sit down please. All of you."_

"What _is_ this place?" asked Fuuka as she sat down on one of the white chairs.

One by one they sat down, before Aigis's voice returned once again.

"_I shall now commence the reattachment of your personas to your souls. Please stand by."_ She said. The lights in the room dimmed until it was completely black. The door sealed shut and the seats enclosed metal "bracelets" around their arms and legs so the various members of S.E.E.S. could not move. Akihiko and Mitsuru were calm during the whole procedure, but everyone else was beginning to panic.

"W – what's happening!?" asked Ken. The two globes on the ceiling and floor began glowing, emanating light amongst the darkness. A steady stream of electricity could be seen between them, and before they knew what was coming, a flash!

Blinded by the light, strapped to their chairs, and bearing the cruelest pain imaginable, they wished for death.

It was at this moment that a star lit up in the night sky and rocketed towards Earth. And as the various members of S.E.E.S. began to scream in agony as their personas were forced back into harmony with their souls, the star suddenly exploded, sending a bright cloud of gas throughout the night sky.

Had it been an actual star, the Earth would have been destroyed, but as the gas began to cool rapidly and fade back into the black space around it, six objects descended through the atmosphere to land on Japan. One of which landed on the humble island of Yakushima.


	18. A Night to Remember

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is currently producing a game with the infinitely cute Jack Frost.

**Chapter XVII: A Night to Remember**

_It's a shame. She had so much potential._

It had been one day since Aigis reattached their personas to their souls. Spirit emissions readings had indicated that they were back to normal – S.E.E.S. would live on.

"That…that hurt like hell!" shouted Junpei, who was still in pain from the operation. If ripping a personas from someone was painful, then reattaching that persona was pure _hell_. He didn't know Akihiko and Mitsuru had endured it, but they said they felt no pain at all.

"Man, those guys are badass for enduring that…I could never be like them…I wonder what _he_ would've felt if he was in there? Probably would act cool just to get all the ladies to himself, hmph." Junpei sighed, he was lying on the bed in his new room, which had come equipped with a S.E.E.S. laptop, encrypted internet, phone and fax, a copier and a printer, and a giant TV on the wall that only had two channels: the news and Classis Horror Hits TV. Mitsuru had said these rooms were the only thing a member of S.E.E.S. would need…yeah right!

Staring at the ceiling, Junpei was thinking of everything that had happened to them in the last month: they had been framed as terrorists, chased around the country by the _real_ terrorists, knocked out, almost executed – _again_, and had witnessed the return of the Dark Hour.

"This just keeps getting better and better…" a few knocks on his door, however, we enough to snap him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, Junpei! It's time for dinner!" said Yukari through the door. She still had the sound of pain in her voice, too. But it was not physical pain weighing on her heart.

"I'm not really hungry. Thanks for the offer, Yuka-tan!" he heard her merely sigh and walk away from the door. He was starving, actually, and he could hear his stomach growling. "I guess I'm just…lost…Yuka-tan," he whispered. Not actually to her more so than to hear himself speak.

He got up off the bed and walked over to the laptop, opening it to see what a S.E.E.S. computer was actually like…

_AXE & HAMMER OS_

_BOOTSTART_

_LOADING…_

_WELCOME TO THE S.E.E.S. DATANET, WOULD YOU LIKE A TUTORIAL?_

Junpei clicked "No."

_VERY WELL._

_ACCESSING DATABASE…_

_THERE ARE CURRENTLY 1,040,987,807,109,101,973 PARANORMAL ANOMOLIES OCCURING WORLDWIDE. WOULD YOU LIKE INFORMATION ON THEM?_

Junpei clicked "yes" this time, leading him to an interactive world map, each country colored in differing shades of red. Countries like Romania, China, and Japan were the deepest shade of crimson, while there were a few countries colored white: no paranormal anomalies at all, Italy and Malta.

He clicked on Japan, hoping to see where it led him, and instantly, a list popped up showing the current paranormal anomalies in Japan. Again, the events colored in the deepest shade of crimson were the most severe. There were two at the top of the list: one in Tokyo and another in…Yakushima?

"What the…"

_THERE ARE CURRENTLY TWO (2) SEVERE PARANORMAL ANOMALIES THAT REQUIRE THE FULL MOBILIZATION OF S.E.E.S. ONE IN TOKYO AND ANOTHER IN YAKUSHIMA, WOULD YOU LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON THEM?_

Junpei naturally clicked yes, and a detailed report came online.

_TOKYO – SEVERE DISTURBANCE OF A CLASS ONE DEMON._

_YAKUSHIMA – LARGE MOBILIZATION OF HOSTILE FORCES WITH E.S.P._

"E.S.P…what in the hell?" suddenly, the room blacked out for a moment, before power came back on with the help of emergency generators. Yukari was back, only this time, she was banging on the door.

"Junpei, get out here, quick!"

"What's going on!?"

"President Tanaka, get down!"

Junpei could hear everyone shouting outside, before a large "thud" shut everyone up.

"Yuka-tan! What's going on –" Junpei asked through the door, his hands still clinging to the laptop.

"We're under attack! Shit! Fuuka, where are they!"

"They're in the elevator shaft!"

"You're up, Koromaru!"

"Hey! Stupei! Get your _dumb ass_ out here!"

That was it, that was the last time she called him 'Stupei', he opened the door, stepped out into the hallway, only to be blown back into the room by an explosion coming from the elevator. The other members of S.E.E.S. in the hallway only managed to survive because Fuuka had used her evoker to use Juno to shield everyone from the blast.

"What the hell!" shouted Junpei, before he could hear the blast from an evoker and several screams.

"Junpei, get the hell out here!" shouted Yukari.

Junpei ran back to the door and looked at the chaos outside. The door to the elevator was blown open, and members of the L.O.S.T. were pouring out. Something was different about them, though. No longer were they simple thugs armed with rifles, in fact, most of the terrorists coming through were unarmed…Something was _not_ right.

"Aigis, we need you down here!" Mitsuru shouted into her radio, waiting for a response while pulling her pistol out and began shooting at the terrorists. Caesar and Juno were already called upon, any more personas in the hallway and things could get too dicey for S.E.E.S. to effectively combat the terrorists.

"_I am pinned down. Our enemies are coming in through the emergency ladders and air ducts…Ah! There's one, now!" _They heard Aigis talking casually on the speaker system as she used her albieros to mow the enemy down and then…

It stopped.

The enemies simply stopped coming. Mitsuru stuck her head in the elevator shaft, using her pistol to secure the shaft and make sure there were no enemies left. Apparently, the enemy assault just ended. Bodies were strewn out on the floor. Some riddled with bullet holes, others with shock trauma from Akihiko's persona.

"Fuuka, analyze!"

"Hold on…Ah! What's this? We – we're being analyzed from a source in the entrance hall! It's…"

"_Hello again, can you all hear me?" _asked a dark voice, seemingly coming from inside their heads.

"_You knew we'd meet again…I see _he_ didn't finish the job back in Tokyo…that is rather…unfortunate. Now that the Dark Hour is back, I see no need to keep you all alive. Say hello to the Guardian of Hell for me…"_

"Incoming attack! Watch out!" Fuuka shouted, putting her hands over her head and dropping to the floor.

Within less than a second, Junpei and Koromaru knew what needed to be done. Cerberus and Trismegistus were called forth almost simultaneously and used their skills with fire to launch a flaming assault on the elevator shaft. Although both personas were capable of using agidyne, _this_ attack seemed to be more powerful than their agidynes _combined_.

"Hold on Koromaru!' Junpei said through clenched teeth, sweat forming on his face. This wasn't just putting a toll on his persona…

As fire met fire, their continued wall of flame seemed to have little impact on the will of whoever was attacking them…he seemed hell-bent on their destruction…

"Wait…I'm sensing an incoming spirit emissions…they're enormous! It _must_ be another persona user! I'm sure of it! It's coming from just outside the main entrance hall"

"But that's impossible!" shouted Mitsuru, "besides us, the only other people who can use personas were…"

"_You! What are _you_ doing here!"_ the dark voice could be heard again. The flaming assault on their position stopped, and Junpei and Koromaru were allowed a reprieve.

"_I could ask the same from you_," a female voice could be heard, apparently speaking to the enemy in the entrance hall.

"_Stay out of this you wench! I have no business with yo – Ah!" _the dark voice was apparently cut off by a serious gust of wind, as all could be heard in their heads now was the swirling of air around him and his voice.

"Whoa…that was…that was a master level skill…I haven't seen one of those since…" said Fuuka, apparently startled at what was transpiring upstairs.

"_You _bitch!_ You'll pay for this!"_

"_Have fun back in Hell_," the female voice said calmly, which was also engulfed by wind now.

For a few moments, there was silence. Mitsuru called back to Aigis in the medical complex and Aigis responded by saying she was alright. That was when _he_ passed them while he was falling through the elevator shaft.

For a fraction of a second as he was falling, just before he was teleported to safety, a man in a green overcoat and glasses could be seen in the shaft.

Jin.

They were back. And as the various members of S.E.E.S. holstered their evokers and put on their armbands once again, _she_ came down as well.


	19. Stairway to Heaven

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is currently catching them all…the personas I mean.

**Chapter XVIII: Stairway to Heaven**

_No…this can't be happening_

"Chi…"

Aigis returned, bringing a status report on the facility.

"…do…"

S.E.E.S. was placed on high alert. President Tanaka called a meeting in the conference room.

"…ri…"

Chidori had returned and was floating in the elevator shaft. Junpei fainted.

"Oh, have I surprised you all?" she asked innocently, President Tanaka just happened to be passing by, when he saw the look on everyone's faces, along with all the bodies of the L.O.S.T. strewn on the floor.

He turned to Yukari with a grin on his face, "I'm guessing you need a smoke, then?"

"No…I need a _drink_, this _can't_ be happening."

"What's not happening?" he asked, "there's bodies everywhere on the floor because you killed them using shadows you summon by shooting yourself in the head…oh, and there's a strange girl with a spike in her head levitating in the elevator shaft."

"What's worse is I'm getting used to this kind of thing," answered Yukari, holding out her hand for that cigarette Tanaka had offered before.

"I don't believe this," said Akihiko, placing a hand on his forehead and shaking his head.

"Tanaka…did you…did you _drug_ us?"

"What on Earth is everyone talking about?" asked Chidori, as she stepped onto the floor where everyone else was standing, prompting Koromaru to whine and run behind Ken.

"Aigis, you can't be drugged…is this…is all of this real?" asked Akihiko. Normally, it would be Mitsuru asking these questions, but she was filled with too much shock to speak right now.

"What do you mean, Akihiko? I sense seventy-three deceased enemies on the compound and one known spirit emission source. Her name is Chidori." Said Aigis very matter-of-factly.

"Thank you for explaining the obvious, Aigis…now, where's Junpei?" Chidori asked. Yukari pointed to Junpei's motionless body on the floor before following President Tanaka to the meeting room, grabbing Mitsuru along the way.

Chidori walked over to Junpei's body and checked his pulse, upon seeing her was still alive, she began slapping him until he woke.

"Huh…what…what's going on?" he asked, his eyes still partially closed. Once seeing Chidori, however, he jumped back and pointed a finger at her, "G – ghost!" Junpei was sweating and panting loudly.

"Relax Junpei, I'm not a ghost," Chidori assured him, but he would hear none of it, instead choosing to close his eyes and start praying.

"Is he always like this?" she asked no one in particular. Yukari and Tanaka had returned. Yukari had a bottle of liquor in her hand, alternating between the bottle and a cigarette.

"Only around this time of year," Yukari said, taking another swig of the bottle. "Tell him you're not a ghost."

"I tried that. He doesn't listen," Chidori replied in her monotone voice, clearly annoyed at Junpei's behavior and Yukari's unhelpful advice.

"Well then _show_ him you're not a ghost," she said, increasing the rate at which she consumed from the bottle. President Tanaka took out his cell phone and began recording Yukari, grinning wildly.

"What do you mean, _show_ him?" Chidori asked.

"Do something… something wild…hey, is it getting hot in here? Tanaka-san! Why do you have your phone out?" she asked, her cheeks started to redden and her voice started to slur. Tanaka started giggling to himself.

"Oh, no reason at all, just, uh…keep drinking. This won't end up on the internet _at all_."

As Yukari started laughing and coming onto Akihiko, who was noticeably disturbed by the whole situation, Chidori leaned in closer to Junpei.

"Junpei…" she whispered.

"No! You're demon magic ain't workin' on me, man! Demon magic!"

"Junpei, you summon a demon by _shooting yourself in the head_ to fight evil from Hell…I think…"

"Demon magic!" he shouted again, shutting his eyes and shielding his face.

Sighing deeply, she just leaned in closer to his face and…

"Oh? What's this, more melodrama I can sell to unsuspecting viewers?" asked Tanaka, focusing his camera on Junpei and Chidori now.

"What's going on?" asked Mitsuru, coming back from the meeting room when she realized Yukari and Tanaka weren't coming back.

"Way to go, Junpei!" shouted Akihiko. When Mitsuru saw what Chidori was doing to Junpei, however, she glared at Akihiko with the strongest intent to convey _"I will kill you if you say that again_". Akihiko shrank back into a nearby room.

Fuuka blushed and shielded Ken's eyes, Koromaru, as always, barked.

When Chidori pulled her lips away from Junpei's, he opened his eyes and blinked for a few moments, before looking back at the woman now leaning over him. His vision clarified, he was actually embarrassed to say it, but he was glad now. Now he knew Chidori was back.

"So it was you after all?" he asked, a slight smile on his face mixing in with feelings of confusion.

"I _told_ you. But – that is not the reason why I came to this place," Chidori said as she stood up, offering a hand to help get Junpei back on his feet. Chidori turned around to face S.E.E.S., who, with the exception of Yukari, were all startled.

"_See_, Jai ch'old you tat would vork! Ooh," Yukari was about to unbutton her cardigan for some unholy reason, before she passed out on the floor, leaving Mitsuru and Akihiko sighing. They would have to take care of her until she sobered up.

"Mitsuru," Chidori said her name firmly and calmly, with the look of resolve in her eyes.

"Yes, what is it, Chidori?"

"I came here because I sensed Junpei here, yes. However, even though I did wish to reunite with him, that is not why I was seeking you all out…as you might have already seen, Jin is alive again. I don't know if Takaya is back from the dead, but, I do remember one thing: I wished to protect Junpei both in life and death. Now that I once again have life, I formally request to join the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad."

Mitsuru gawked, before coughing and coming back to the reality of the situation.

"Well…so long as it's fine with our…God I can't believe I'm saying this…ahem…so long as it's fine with _Chairman_ Tanaka," Mitsuru said with a mocking emphasis on 'Chairman', "it would be fine with me. Chairman?"

"Oh, it's fine with me alright. By the way, Junpei, since she's a member of S.E.E.S. now, she's included in that contract as well," Tanaka grinned, his camera still recording.

"What! No way!"

"Sorry, a deal's a deal. That's business kid," Tanaka closed his phone. It was running out of battery power, and he returned his full attention to S.E.E.S. "We'll be holding a meeting at noon tomorrow to access the situation and form a plan of action. Mitsuru, I want you to handle Yukari and Chidori until then. Everyone go to bed, you'll be resuming normal combat operations tomorrow evening. Mitsuru, I trust there is an armory in this compound?"

"Yes, chairman."

"Wonderful. Now hurry up and sleep. All of you."

With Chairman Tanaka taking the helm of S.E.E.S., they would strike back at those who had attacked them, but first, celebrations were in order. Even though Chairman Tanaka had ordered them to bed early, in celebration for Chidori's entrance into S.E.E.S., many of its members found themselves partying late into the night.

A decision they promptly regretted the next morning.


	20. Highway to Hell

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which if fulfilling all of its fanboys' wants and needs.

**Chapter XIX: Highway to Hell**

_Throw him into Hell's fire_

"From the information faxed over from the Vatican this morning, this…Lake of Fire appears to be a Judeo-Christian rendering of the entrance to Hell. Now, if you'll all…pay…attention…Are any of you awake?" asked Tanaka. He had actual glasses on this time and was giving a briefing in the conference room.

Akihiko, Koromaru, and Mitsuru were sleeping; Junpei and Yukari had icepacks over their heads; and Fuuka and Chidori were both engaging in…meditation. In other words, using their personas' psychic abilities to gossip.

The only ones really paying attention to Chairman Tanaka were Aigis and Ken. Tanaka slapped his forehead at his lack of insight.

"I should have known better…Hey, this is serious, you low-lives! Wake up before I upload those photos from last night onto every website from here to Cancun!"

"Ugh…be quiet…" muttered Yukari, her head feeling as if it were about to explode.

"Aigis, please tell me you're recording this?" asked Tanaka, slightly annoyed, more infuriated than anything else.

"Yes, Chairman Tanaka, I am. I am recording all voice and video data for future reference," Aigis said, smiling for her usefulness to the group and the organization as a whole.

"Good…I guess I can just talk to you and it'll work out…somehow."

"Hey, what about me!?" asked Ken.

"Oh…um…good job at paying attention, son," Tanaka remarked, before continuing with the day's briefing…

"_It is common knowledge that the Europeans have the most experience in fighting supernatural and paranormal spirits, however, they were prone to superstition and fear. The Americans tried their luck in the paranormal realm, however, their organizations fell victim to the vice of greed. I know it sounds weird when I say it, but yes, there are those who are greedier than I am._

_There are two organizations in particular, however, that are consulted by every paranormal organization in the world because of their sheer record of success: The Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta and the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy See. I personally tend to consult the Vatican, simply because they provide their services free of charge._

_Apparently, the Lake of Fire is the entrance to Hell. The Vatican says that 'whoever shall touch the flames of this unholy lake shall have their souls sucked from their body.' Indeed, the evidence we have collected indicates that anyone who comes into contact with the Lake of Fire will contract Apathy Syndrome. Yes, Apathy Syndrome._

_They did not have much information on the Palace in the center of the lake, only that it's name was the 'Palacio del Diablo', or the Palace of the Devil. From what we've been able to piece together however, along with Fuuka's analysis of the Palace during the last Dark Hour, it can be concluded that there is an _extremely_ powerful presence within that Palace. How powerful is it…well, the Vatican says its capable of destroying the world, so I guess it's pretty damn powerful…"_

"Aigis, I assume Chidori was given an evoker and taken to the medical complex to stabilize her persona?"

"Yes, Chairman Tanaka," Aigis replied cheerfully.

"Wonderful! Aigis, babe, you have potential in the business world! Now then, Aigis. I was told that you used to use very outdated weaponry for your operations. Silver swords, enchanted arrows, that sort of ilk. I've asked the Vatican to send over some new equipment, I think you'll all like them."

"What kind of equipment?" asked Ken.

"Oh…you use a spear, right?"

"Yes…" Ken replied to Tanaka.

"You'll especially like _your_ new weapon. Now then," Tanaka turned back to the TV screen behind him, pressing a button on a remote control to bring up a picture of a hotel.

"This is where you will be based for this operation. I've already rented rooms for you all with my personal bank account. Heh. I swear, if I didn't have that contract…Oh, but anyway, this hotel will be your temporary 'dorm' while we assault the Lake of Fire."

"Um…assault?" asked Aigis, "Isn't it too early to begin combat operations within the Lake of Fire, Tanaka-san?"

"Nonsense! It's supposed to be a _Lake_ of fire, but in actuality, it's nothing more than a _maze_ of fire. You'll all be perfectly safe so long as you don't touch the walls!" he said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it there, a slight grin still on his face.

"And…what happens if we _do_ touch the walls?" asked Ken. He gulped, waiting for the answer.

"Oh, nothing really…your soul will be ripped out and thrown into Hell instantly…at least that's what the Vatican told me…"

Ken gulped, before Aigis raised another question, "Chairman Tanaka, when will we be going back to Tokyo?"

"Right…now, my dear!" Tanaka said happily, a large grin on his face. He stuck a hand in his jacket to produce a pistol and raised it in the air.

"Aigis, Ken, I suggest you close your ears," he said as he put earplugs in both his ears and fired two shots into the ceiling. Everyone who had not been paying attention at the meeting was instantly woken up or snapped to attention.

"Ah…Tanaka-san…don't…" cried Yukari in a voice that was barely a whisper, her hangover didn't get any better from Tanaka's gunshots.

"Everyone, get up, we're leaving. You have one hour to be at the marina or find yourself another ride back to Tokyo," Tanaka put his gun back in its place, before walking out of the room, leaving S.E.E.S. to their own devices for the next hour.

Yukari, having decided that she would not stick around for the melodrama that was sure to follow, followed Tanaka out of the room. But instead of heading towards the elevator shaft she turned right towards the Mausoleum. It was Junpei who noticed this and, despite his throbbing headache, decided to follow her.

The S.E.E.S. Mausoleum was the only of its kind it the world. Three kilometers underground and, presumably, safe from attack. But after the L.O.S.T. had somehow managed to breach the physical barriers around the headquarters, Yukari didn't know if this was true anymore. That's why she had to do this now.

She strapped her S.E.E.S. armband onto her left arm and allowed the scanner to read it, granting her access to the burial site. It was a massive chamber, filled with darkness, but there were two spotlights above, somewhere in the infinite expanse of black, that illuminated the only features in site. The two lights shone down on two gravestones…

"Hey you, there you are…I was looking for you…" Yukari said, hoping _he_ would hear her. "I…uh…I brought something you might like…remember this?" she said, holding out the MP3 player Junpei had given her back in Tokyo.

"Stupei said it was yours, but, I just wanted to make sure. Don't worry, I didn't listen to it! I don't want to listen to whatever creepy songs you listen to, heh," she laughed a little, thinking of whatever he would say if this were an actual conversation.

"President Tanaka is back…Stupei signed a deal with him or something…you know, I really did think you looked good in those commercials. N – not to imply anything, you pervert! But…yeah…he's leading us now. And…we…uh, we're going to Tokyo to fight some evil," she said with a slight grin on her face, "Yes, fight evil! Hah! Watch Takeba fight evil! You can come too…if only you can…" the grin disappeared and she had her eyes down on the gravestone she knew only too well. She had only seen it once before in her life, but that didn't stop her from memorizing every detail of it…_That_ would be her last memory of him…

"I…uh, have to go now, okay? President Tanaka is serious when he says he'll leave me here if I don't show up on time…I don't know when I'll be back, so don't be too lonely, okay? And…here, maybe you can pass the time with this…" she said quietly, placing the MP3 player on top of Minato's tombstone and turning back towards the exit. Junpei was standing there with his arms folded, leaning against the wall.

"So…now you know how crazy I am, huh?" she asked him, blinking furiously to hold back tears in her eyes.

"Not at all…I miss him, too." He said as Yukari walked passed him towards the exit.

"Yeah…but…I still _love_ him…I don't know why. He's dead, so why?" she stopped just past Junpei and waited for him to answer.

"Maybe he's still watching out for you. Fighting for you…Chidori came back, so why not him?"

"Heh," Yukari said quietly, "Why not, eh? Well, we'll just have to wait and see…oh, and Junpei?"

"Hm?"

"If any of this leaks to anyone else, Chidori's gonna' have to revive you again," she said darkly, before walking off. Junpei gulped a little, before closing the Mausoleum doors and watching his tombstone disappear into the darkness. The slight glint of the MP3 player shining brightly until the light was no more.


	21. First Strike

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is currently…

**Chapter XX: First Strike**

_This is how it should be_

"_Experts working for the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare are extremely surprised at the resurgence of Apathy Syndrome; a disease just last month they claimed would not appear again. From what we have been able to tell, this time the disease has struck the capital region itself, sparing the city of Iwatodai, which was hard hit in the last outbreak. Government officials are currently trying to study the outbreak in attempts to contain it. That's it for the news on April 30, 2010, at the tone, it will be May 1…"_

"It's worthless, they'll never even find out _where_ the outbreak is coming from," said Akihiko, who was standing by the window and parting the blinds to have a look upon Tokyo. Their hotel rooms all featured views which looked over Tokyo Bay, giving them a pristine vantage points to observe the Lake of Fire during the Dark Hour. Each room was equipped with the latest S.E.E.S. monitoring equipment, too, including scopes for observing the transformation.

"That's true, which is why it's up to us to destroy it…again," said Mitsuru, walking up to Akihiko to have a look at Tokyo Bay. It was nighttime once again, 11:59 PM to be exact, and S.E.E.S. was currently gathered in the same room to observe the transformation together. Lights could be seen down below in the Bay from the various boats and ships…

"Those poor souls…" muttered Mitsuru while checking her watch.

They could hear the sounds of engines and police sirens, dogs barking and ships blowing their horns. Off in the distance was a lone lighthouse providing a sense of security to the people out in the Bay…

"Three, two, one…"

The lights in the hotel went out and across the city. The lighthouse, illuminating the Bay with its glow, was put out. The sky turned green, the moon turned yellow, and the same river of blood descended upon Tokyo Tower, while out of the depths of Tokyo Bay, a massive palace emerged to be bathed in the light of a massive fire.

"There it is…the entrance to Hell, just like Chairman Tanaka said…Chairman Tanaka?" Yukari turned around after she had said this, only to find, where Chairman Tanaka was supposed to be, a giant coffin.

"I see…Aigis, did you forget to bring Tanaka-san to the medical complex before we left Yakushima?" asked Yukari.

"Well…I," Aigis tried to reply but instead was cut off by Akihiko.

"It doesn't matter now, all that matters is getting down there and kicking some ass until we find some answers!" Akihiko said, turning around to leave the room, before Mitsuru grabbed his arm and stopped him from leaving.

"Wait! Look at this…" she said, pointing at the scope. Akihiko went to look. The sight was focused on the warehouse where they were held before.

"Yeah…so what?" Akihiko asked.

"Where was the Lake of Fire when the Dark Hour first reappeared?" Mitsuru asked him.

"That's a stupid question, it was by the wharf next to the warehouse."

"Where's the wharf?" she asked again, this time in a darker voice.

"What do you mean, it's right…wait…where _is_ the wharf?"

"The Lake of Fire is _expanding_…" she announced. Only Akihiko and Junpei seemed to be surprised.

"W – what do ya' mean _expanding_!?" yelled Junpei, his voice was nervous as he pushed Akihiko to the side to get a view through the scope.

"For reasons unknown to us, the Lake of Fire expands each time the Dark Hour appears…we only noticed this because Fuuka and Chidori conducted an analysis of Tokyo just a few hours ago. The radius of those infected with Apathy Syndrome has grown…"

"So…what, it's been a few days, the Lake of Fire's only expanded a few meters…" Junpei tried to calm himself by using this logic, but Mitsuru shot it down.

"That would be good logic to use, except that our goal is to reach the palace. Each day it expands, the palace gets farther away, and we only have the Dark Hour to explore the Lake of Fire…there's also the fact that, each time it expands, it will slowly consume more of the world's population into its depths and create more of The Lost…there's a famous quote: _The World will not go down with a bang – but a whimper_. Think of Nyx as the bang and this as the whimper."

"Okay, so where's the entrance?" asked Akihiko, still urging to fight, and simultaneously wrestling with Junpei over the observation scope.

"The entrance seems to be exactly where the warehouse is. Although we don't know if the location of the entrance changes daily, Fuuka and Chidori were able to determine that as of right now, our way to enter the Lake of Fire is there."

"Wonderful…anything else?"

"No, but does everyone have their weapons _and_ their evokers?" asked Mitsuru. Everyone nodded, thinking that the weapons alluded to the pistols President Tanaka had given them, but Aigis spoke up. After all, she had paid attention at their meeting.

"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you all. President Tanaka said he was going to receive weapons from a place called the 'Vatican'. I assume they're in the truck that was parked downstairs. He _did_ tell me to help him retrieve its contents later."

"T – the who!?" Junpei exclaimed, gawking at Aigis.

"Please, Aigis, lead us to the van if you will. We will begin an assault on the Lake of Fire momentarily," Mitsuru ordered, and Aigis led them all out of the room and towards the underground parking garage. They had to use the stairs because of the Dark Hour and by the time they had gotten there several of them were out of breath.

"I believe it is this one," she pointed to a pure white van without any distinguishable markings before forcing the back of the van open to reveal several wooden crates. The crates were heavy and had on them the imprinted seal of the Vatican.

"Well, open it up," barked Mitsuru, herself getting slightly impatient for the need to assault the Lake of Fire. Aigis opened up the first crate. The contents inside were protected by a thick layer of cotton and a single sheet of paper rested on top of it:

_To the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, Our friends in the paranormal policing of the world. We hope these items may be of service to you. The items in this crate were specifically requested by your leader for one of your members named: MITSURU KIRIJO. We hope for your success._

"It's for you, Mitsuru-san," said Aigis, getting out of the way for Mitsuru to rip apart the protective cotton layer and find out what was on the inside of the crate…

Inside were two items, a sword, identified on the roster as "Crocea Mors", the sword of Julius Caesar and the other…

"I'm _not_ wearing this…" she said as she held up a small swimsuit that didn't even look like it could fit _Fuuka_, let alone _her_. But that wasn't why she wasn't wearing it. "I'm going to beat the living _hell_ out of Tanaka when the Dark Hour's over," she fumed. Akihiko and Junpei were laughing, causing Mitsuru to send a death glare in their direction, before smashing their heads into each other. They stopped laughing after that.

Aigis opened up a few more boxes to reveal weapons such as the Spear of Longinus and the Blade of Kusanagi. A bow made from enchanted wood and arrows dipped in holy water and even a "Holy Dog Suit", the legitimacy of that claim was questioned by all of S.E.E.S.

"_We regret to inform you that the Vatican does not contain in our arsenal any firearms or robotic parts. Please consult the Knights of Malta for this selection of weapons."_ Aigis read aloud from one of the boxes. She lowered her eyes, before Mitsuru put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," Mitsuru told her, "besides, we're restricted in the amount of time we can explore the Lake of Fire. Let's move out!" Aigis smiled, while the rest of the team nodded their heads.

On their way to the warehouse, they noticed for the first time just how lonely the Dark Hour really was. In Tokyo, you were never alone. For a city of 38 Million people, it was eerie to walk the streets at night by yourself – literally. There were no other people in sight, just empty cars and coffins. Blood could be seen in puddles and pools here and there and sometimes, if the cloud conditions were _just_ _right_, you could see the moon in the blood.

They eventually got to the warehouse. All of them held their heads up high to see the entrance of the Lake of Fire: a gate made from human skulls. Other than that – the members of S.E.E.S. felt determined and invigorated. This would be Chidori's first mission, as well. The S.E.E.S. armband on her left arm made her feel proud to be alive again. To feel proud to love Junpei…

Mitsuru led the way, taking the first step forward towards the gate…

"Where d'ya think you're going?" asked a vaguely familiar voice. "Last time I checked, you guys lucked out in our last fight, so how 'bout a good rematch? My treat…" the voice came closer and closer, until a figure appeared to be descending from the ceiling of the warehouse – Jin.

"Come on now…let's play…" he said, smiling slightly as he gripped a grenade in one hand and his suitcase in the other. And as his right foot hit the ground, evokers were drawn, curses were yelled, and S.E.E.S.'s first major fight in over a year and a half was underway…


	22. Masters of Tartarus

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is ordering you to drop down and give them twenty…dollars. Support Atlus, folks!

**Chapter XXI: Masters of Tartarus**

_Why are we HERE? Of all places…_

"Ah!"

"Mitsuru! Bastard, I'll kill you – augh!"

Jin was smiling as his persona held the throats of both Mitsuru and Akihiko, a red glow emanating from his persona.

"I could kill them right now if I wanted…but come on…let's play! Hah!" Jin pulled the pin on the grenade he was holding in his right hand and threw it at the remaining members of S.E.E.S. Yukari quickly threw the grenade off course using her persona's wind abilities.

"You don't want to do this, Jin!" shouted Chidori, but Jin would have none of it.

"Shut up, you wench! We could've been together! You could've fought for us! But instead you chose to fight for a lost cause…for _them_! For _him_! You'll die with the rest of them!"

"What the -?"

"Junpei, look out!" Chidori's persona formed a barrier around Junpei as Jin used a grenade against them.

"Thanks, Chido – Whoa! Bastard!" Junpei used Trismegistus to launch an agidyne attack against Jin. "Fuuka, analyze!"

"I'm on it!" she said, trying to duck out of the action so she could be safe while she supported them. Hiding behind a large wooden crate, she began analyzing Jin for his weaknesses and specific HP and SP.

Meanwhile, Aigis and Jin were practically in a dance of bullets. Aigis was using her albieros to fire upon Jin. Jin on the other hand was using a pistol he pulled out of his briefcase to fire at Aigis. Both of them moved their feet skillfully and gracefully enough to avoid getting hit.

"I _will_ defeat you!" yelled Aigis in her monotone robotic voice. Jin just shrugged and jumped back into the ceiling, calling his persona towards him and brining Akihiko and Mitsuru into the silent darkness.

"Report!" shouted Yukari. A piece of shrapnel had hit her in the shoulder and she used a piece of her cardigan as a bandage.

"I've found his weakness! It's ice magic…but…he had Mitsuru-san…and his ability to take damage has increased considerably!" yelled Fuuka from behind the wooden crate.

"Fuuka…what does that all mean?"

"What it means, Yukari-san, is that unless we hit him with an ice spell and have _everyone_ attack him at once…we won't defeat him!"

"Shit! Isn't there anyone else here who can use bufu skills!?" Yukari screamed, placing her hands over her head, before Chidori walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Ow! Shit, that hurts!"

"Sorry, Takeba…But, I'm proficient in using bufu and garu skills alongside my psychic and healing abilities…"

Everyone gawked at Chidori, even Junpei. She hadn't been able to use bufu skills one year ago, had she? But then again, they had all changed so much in one year that the dead must still be evolving and growing, too.

"Just distract him until I can get a good shot at his persona and get Mitsuru and Akihiko out of there."

"Yeah…okay," Junpei said while walking deeper into the warehouse with a pistol in his left hand and an evoker in his right. "Hey, you slimy, good-for-nothing son of a bitch! How's about you come down here while I kick your ass? Or is that too much for 'ya, ya' four-eyed freak!"

"No, I don't think it is…" said a voice from the distance, before Junpei found himself getting thrown around life a puppet by Jin's persona as he appeared behind Junpei from, seemingly, out of nowhere. Mitsuru and Akihiko were nowhere to be found.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! You – augh! Bastard! Wah!" Junpei was getting thrown on the floor by Jin's persona before finally getting thrown into a wall of crates over by the entrance.

"Uh…that's gonna' hurt in the morning…" Junpei said as he stood up, pointing the evoker at Jin and the pistol at his head. Jin raised an eyebrow before Junpei reversed the order of the two guns.

"You could've pulled the trigger. It would've made our job much easier," Jin remarked casually, advancing towards Junpei as slow as he could.

"Why – why are you doing this? Why did you come back!?" Junpei asked forcefully, keeping his pistol focused on Jin.

"You idiots still don't get it, do you? You damn _children_. You just can't let go of something even when you know it's bad for you…This world is _corrupt_. It's a horrid stain in the eyes of the universe and the only way to purify it is to destroy it and rebuild from zero."

"Hmph. Purify the world my _ass_! You just want to rule over it you selfish bastard!" out of the corner of Junpei eye, he could see Chidori creeping around in the darkness. He had to keep Jin occupied for just a little longer. "And what's this '_we_' crap you keep going on about? Who else is with you!" he shouted, sweat starting to collect on his face.

"Oh, I think you know them. We all played this little game last year…didn't we Chidori?"

Junpei fired his gun and Jin spun on his ankles to avoid the shot, all the while pulling out his own gun from his coat. That was before a bufudyne attack hit Jin directly in the back as he was about to pull the trigger. He fell on the ground almost instantly.

"Chidori, you did – "

"That was not me, Junpei…look," Chidori pointed to a large stack of crates and, lo and behold, Mitsuru was gasping for breath, supported by an angry-looking Akihiko. Both were covered in blood and had cuts all over.

"N – now's…the…time…for an…"

Yukari came into the warehouse from the entrance, brining with her the rest of the team. "An all-out-attack, Mitsuru-san? I'm all for it."

The members of S.E.E.S. slowly made their way over to Jin. Akihiko and Mitsuru were grinning as they drew their weapons.

For some reason that night, Jin could finalize call forth his persona, not as a master, but as a friend. And as the various members of S.E.E.S. attempted to hack and slash Jin's life away, his persona protected him. For ten straight minutes it protected him from the brutality of their revenge. And as they grew tired, gradually pulling back until no one could attack anymore, his persona manifested itself in his mind for one last time to say its goodbye.

The Dark Hour faded back into the night, and S.E.E.S. was left staring at the white moon once again. The noises of Tokyo filled their ears along with the gasps of air Jin was crying out for. It took all their restraint to _not_ shoot him right then and there.

"You won't win…Nyx is dead…Beware – beware…The Reaper…"

Jin died that night. With his last dying breath he repeated what the L.O.S.T. had been preaching the whole time, "Nyx is dead. Beware the Reaper." But what did it all mean?


	23. The Meaning of Life

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is currently feeling pressured by the peers and the media.

**Chapter XXII: The Meaning of Life**

_Trust…I was blinded by my thirst for power…but thanks to you, I realize the importance of trust_

After their battle with Jin, the members of S.E.E.S. had decided to stay in their hotel rooms for most of the day, watching TV or making idle chatter. They weren't in the mood to talk about their job right now…_or_ the cryptic message that Jin had expounded upon last night, just before he died.

It was a relief to them all, however, when President Tanaka remarked he wouldn't be able to support them any longer in person. He _did_ have a national TV enterprise to run after all. What he told them, however, was that someone else would come and resume the leadership role of S.E.E.S. Someone that they knew and someone he bore a deep business grudge against. That was all he could tell them lest he "burst out into tears and anger over this man's business betrayal."

Mitsuru couldn't stop thinking about it and laugh. Tanaka talking about betrayal? Hah! The man made a _fortune_ from the creation of the Dark Hour. How dare he!

Nevertheless, after waiting all day for this businessman to arrive, it was nine in the evening, and he had yet to show. The various members of S.E.E.S. had decided to watch the city from the roof of the hotel and enjoy the night.

Even though they were all great friends – having lived together for over a year, saved the world, and saved each other…there was just something…awkward about being around other S.E.E.S. members. This eventually led to everyone using their mobile phones to talk to their old friends from Gekkoukan High…

"_Hey Kenji, what's up?"_

"_Natsuki-chan, how are you?"_

"_Hidetoshi, I haven't talked to you in ages, how are you?"_

"_Heh. No Maiko, I haven't seen him either…No I know."_

"What is this? This is disgraceful! Young children should be out having fun together, not isolated on some machine!" yelled a rough-sounding voice coming up from the stairs. The voice garnered anger from Junpei.

"Hey, old man, zip it! Who do you – oh my…"

"Go on. You were saying?" asked the man. He carried a cane this time and a raspier sounding voice. But the jet black hair, the classy cigar in his mouth, and the eye patch made no mistake about it…

"F –Father?"

"Hello, Mitsuru…I'm back." It was Takehiro Kirijo, who had apparently come back from the dead. But after seeing two reanimated corpses already (and having fought one), S.E.E.S. didn't rank this very high on the "weird" scale. "That bastard Tanaka asked me to retake my position as Director of S.E.E.S. as soon as he found out I was alive…why are you all staring at me?" he asked them. Every member, with the notable exception of Chidori, was staring at Takehiro with their jaws dropped.

"You…I saw you when I came down to this Earth…" said Chidori, pointing a finger at Takehiro. Mitsuru began looking back and forth between her father and Chidori.

"Ah…yes. Hello madam. I _do_ remember you from…_somewhere_."

"Wait…you two _saw_ each other while you came back to life!?" asked Yukari, exasperated.

"Yes…I saw Mr. Kirijo here along with four other spirits on my way down to this earth. I did not see Jin or Takaya…they must have been sent to Hell when they died…"

"Did…did you see _him_?" she asked, running up to Chidori and grasping her collar, "did you?"

"Who's 'him'? But I did not recognize any other faces…in fact, I did not remember that Mitsuru's father was with me until I saw him…"

"Yes…the same can be said for me…I merely thought I was coming back as a ghost of some sort. I didn't realize the five spirits with me included Miss…what's your name again?"

"Chidori, sir."

"Good name…regardless…I –"

'Mr. Kirijo, please. Did you see…did you see Minato?" Yukari asked, letting go of Chidori.

"The boy with the blue hair?" Takehiro asked. Yukari nodded her head.

"I'm sorry, but it is as I said. I could not recognize any of the other spirits there…I'm actually surprised Chidori and I recognized each other…so…what's going on?"

"Well," Akihiko answered. Mitsuru was still in shock at her father's apparent revival, "we saved the world, destroyed the Dark Hour, and in the process, accidentally killed Minato. Now, one year later, the Dark Hour is back, the world is about to be destroyed _again_, and Minato is still dead."

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Kick some ass!" he remarked. Akihiko was about to respond to that awesome comment, before Fuuka cut in.

"It's not so simple, sir…terrorists calling themselves the Legion of the Old Shadows of Tartarus have framed S.E.E.S. and branded us as terrorists. On top of that, they keep mentioning 'Nyx is dead. Beware the Reaper.' I don't suppose you know what is means?" Fuuka probably knew the answer, but Takehiro surprisingly answered.

"Heh. You guys didn't pay attention in your divination class last year, did you?" to his chagrin and horror, everyone either looked away or flat out said no. He sat down and put his head in his hands.

"Geez, people. Who do you think organized that class? I was preparing you all for an event like this! Look…the Reaper is a figure in Western mythology that brings Death upon the land…I trust that you destroyed Tartarus along with the Dark Hour?"

"Yeah, why?" replied Mitsuru. Her father's head sunk even lower.

"As much as that was our goal…Tartarus not only served as a Throne for Nyx…but as a cage for the Reaper. He was bound within Tartarus…you might have run across him in the hallways of Tartarus…so long as Tartarus existed, the Reaper couldn't get out and cause havoc on the world…"

"And now?" asked Mitsuru again, her full attention devoted to her father.

"Now…The Angel of Death is upon is…the only way to defeat it is to find its home and kill it…needless to say, killing the Angel of _Death_ is going to be a bit of a problem for a lot of reasons. Primarily because, since it's the Angel of Death, it _chooses_ whether it lives or dies…"

"So you're telling us that there's _no way_ to defeat this thing!?" asked Mitsuru. She couldn't believe the words coming out from her father's mouth.

"I never said _that_ – it's just…"

"What he's _trying_ to say is – it is futile. One may defeat the Harbinger of Death, but one cannot defeat Death incarnate!" a voice shouted from the blackness of the sky. Why did it sound so familiar? The voice sighed before continuing on its tirade, "I never should've sent Jin to deal with you fools…this is a job best left for me to handle…"

The members of S.E.E.S. scanned the skies all around them for the origin of the voice, before a figure slowly rose up in front of Junpei's face, making him jump back all the way to Chidori's arms.

In the pose of the Messiah, he rose up slowly from the side of the hotel, until he was levitating in plain view of S.E.E.S.

"No…it can't be…"

"Oh, but it _is_, dear Chidori! Soon the Dark Hour will be upon us and with your sacrifices, the Reaper may finally begin to rebuild the land! Now! Now is the time to be celebrating! You don't have _him_ anymore! There's no one to stop it this time! The world will be reborn – and it…it will be glorious!"

Taking his revolver out of his pants, Takaya took aim at Chidori and pulled the trigger. Never before was his determination this strong to live to the End of the World.


	24. Masters of Hell

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is the Master of Tartarus.

**Chapter XXIII: Masters of Hell**

_How ridiculous…are you out of your minds?_

Aigis had shot the bullet out of the air with a round of fire from her albieros. If that wasn't enough, Chidori had turned around and covered Junpei with herself to protect him from harm.

"How regretful. I was hoping you all would have grown wiser in the year it's been since you sent me to Hell…it appears I was wrong." Takaya continued to hover over them, his gun pointed at their general direction, never seeming to leave them.

"Takaya, why are you doing this?" asked Chidori again, "stop this! Please!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that Chidori…you see, if we allow these people to destroy the Dark Hour _again_, you would have no idea of the consequences."

"W – what do you mean?" she asked. Chidori was scared. For the first time in her life she was scared. Not at the prospect of dying, but at the thought of losing Junpei again to Takaya…

"You mean you people still haven't figured it out? You people are fools and yet you seek to destroy the Dark Hour without knowing its consequences!? Tell me _boy_, do you love Chidori?"

"Are…are you talking to me?" Junpei answered, still shaking from having been shot at.

"Of course you idiot, who else could I be talking to?"

"Yeah…Yeah…she gave her life up so I could live. There's no one more I'd rather protect in the world!" Junpei seemed to have regained his courage and let go of Chidori to face Takaya eye to eye.

"Tell me, could you _kill_ Chidori, even if it meant saving the world? What – do you people honestly think out reappearance had nothing to do with the Dark Hour!? If you end the Dark Hour, you'll kill us all. Granted, you'll kill me, but you'll also kill Chidori. Is that what you want, _boy_!?" Takaya was angry now, speaking through his teeth and gripping his revolver as tight as he could. He had to stop these people tonight.

"W – what?"

"Enough talk, this ends tonight!"

NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY HEADQUARTERS

TOKYO

"Sir! I think you should look at this!" a cadet ran up to the police chief's office. Normally such an action would get the cadet immediately disciplinary action, but not this time. The police chief for the Tokyo district was about to reprimand the cadet when he saw the title of the file he was carrying:

"TOP SECRET:

PUBLIC REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF

S.E.E.S."

"What…is that…cadet?" asked the chief, settling down in his chair and grabbing a cup of coffee from the pot.

"Sir! Just before midnight last night, an unknown tipster informed us of the possibility that the leaders of S.E.E.S. might be staying at a luxurious, but relatively unknown, hotel near the Tokyo Bay. We looked into the matter and…you won't believe this – surveillance tapes from the lobby of the hotel have confirmed that they're there…_all_ of them!"

"Son of a…what are you waiting for!? I authorized immediate action against – "

"Wait, sir!" the cadet cut in, waiting for a chance to get an easy promotion, "there's _more_…the person who booked their rooms was none other than President Tanaka of the Tanaka Corporation!"

The chief jumped up from his chair, slammed his fist down on the desk, and looked the cadet straight in the eye.

"I want assault teams on that hotel right now! Arrest that bastard Tanaka wherever he shows up! We end this tonight!"

THE HOTEL ROOF

Still levitating above the roof, Takaya kept firing rounds off in their direction, never summoning his persona once. Fuuka, thinking this was suspicious, ducked under the stairs to avoid the battle before using Juno to analyze both Takaya and the current situation.

"This is strange…the last time we fought, he was using Almighty powers with great skill, but now…what's going on…"

Meanwhile, Aigis was using her albieros to shoot the bullets Takaya was firing out of the air, while the rest of S.E.E.S.; otherwise out of reach of Takaya, were using their pistols to zero in on him and fire. But when your target can levitate out of the way at will, that was harder than they thought.

Back under the stairs, Fuuka was able to get a lock on the situation, but not because of her powers. She heard a small explosion. Normally, humans on the roof would not be able to feel or hear the vibrations of such a small explosion, but persona users were not ordinary humans. She could hear the shouts and screams of various men. The clinking of metal…

"He's not here to kill us at all…oh my…you guys! I –"

A stray bullet near the wall forced her back into hiding, but they didn't have time…

"You will _die_ here tonight! It matters not how…the Reaper will have blood!"

"You and the Reaper, we'll kill both of you!" shouted Akihiko, struggling to get a lock on Takaya using his pistol, he grew frustrated and threw it on the ground, grabbing his evoker and pulling its trigger instead.

"Caesar! Ziodyne!" Caesar complied, and from the center of his being, Caesar called forth a massive bolt on lightning. It hit Takaya dead on, forcing a massive explosion that could be seen all over the city. "Yeah! I got the bastard!"

"No – no you didn't Akihiko!" shouted Fuuka. She heard the commotion on the roof and decided to let them all know now about her analysis on Takaya, "he's –"

"I'm immune to all physical and magical damage now, is what she's trying to say. I thought I might make it faster by telling you instead," Takaya said, the smoke from the explosion had not fully cleared, and it appeared as if his voice was detached from any physical form. As if it was haunting them.

"But it matters not now…you're end is here!" Takaya stopped his levitation and fell to the ground, his arms still in the pose of the Messiah, before he was enveloped in a black light and disappeared.

They all crowded around the edge of the roof, trying to see if there was a body before they heard a loud crash. Dozens of footsteps could be heard from the level below, before a heavily armed, heavily equipped squad of Japanese SWAT made their way up to the roof…

"Drop your weapons and don't move!"

It would take a miracle to escape from this situation…luckily for a persona user, they had miracles at the pull of a trigger…


	25. Into the Abyss

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is the Master of Hell.

**Chapter XXIV: Into the Abyss**

_Death is imminent. Surely you know this._

The next thing Junpei knew, he was flying…well, not really _flying_ so much as falling through the air, with the other members of S.E.E.S. and Takehiro Kirijo next to him. Fuuka had telepathically told them all to jump off the roof. To just "shut up and do it" as she had said. Admittedly, it had taken the best and worst in him to jump off a fifty story building with no possible way of survival, but it was a more obvious choice than getting executed for terrorism.

As the fell, Yukari and Chidori both looked at each other, nodded, and shot themselves using their evokers. The combined power of the two girls' garudyne powers was _just enough_ to allow them to survive. Albeit, they all fell on their faces and several of them had a bloody nose afterwards, but other than that…

"Let's…not do that again," remarked Takehiro as he wiped dirt, sweat, and blood off of his pants. He checked his watch: it was 11:58 PM. "The police will be here in a few seconds, let's say hello, shall we?"

"Father…what the hell are you talking about!?" Mitsuru believed her father had gone mad from the events that had just transpired, before he pointed to his watch and started smiling. They could hear the police sirens and the rush of Tokyo SWAT officers rushing to where their supposed "bodies" were. When they found them all alive, waving and smiling at them, they didn't take it in light humor.

"You think this is funny! Do you! I think _this _is funny, old man!" one officer shouted, pulling up his rifle and aiming it at Takehiro's head. And just as put his finger on the trigger, he transmogrified into a coffin, as did the rest of his squad. S.E.E.S. burst into laughter. Part of it was the transmogrification of the officer. The other part was their sheer _luck_ in surviving the past day.

"I _cannot_ believe that just happened…" sighed Yukari, sitting down on a nearby bench to recover.

"Yeah…but, we can't forget out objective. We have to go to the Lake of Fire tonight…" said Mitsuru. Her father inquired about the Lake of Fire, asking what it was. When the Tokyo skyline instantly lit up from a bright orange glow from the Bay, Mitsuru pointed directly behind her.

"Fuuka, can you analyze where the entrance is this time?" asked Mitsuru.

"Sure…hold on – wow…you're not going to believe this, Mitsuru-san, but the entrance doesn't change. Although, I _am_ sensing an alteration in the pattern of the maze since the last time I've analyzed it."

"So, the Lake of Fire changes its course every day, huh? But the entrance and Palace remain in virtually the same position…interesting."

"Ahem," coughed an impatient Akihiko. As far as he saw it, _not_ defeating Takaya counted as a defeat, and he was all too eager to regain his lost honor inside the Lake of Fire.

"Yes, Akihiko?"

"Shouldn't we be going now? We only have the Dark Hour to explore the Lake!"

Everyone nodded to everyone else, before they set out running for the Lake of Fire. This time, however, they would head right into the belly of the beast…

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT #9

ENTRANCE TO THE LAKE OF FIRE

"Here we are…here it is…" said Akihiko, his eyes glancing up at the gate to their oblivion.

"I'm sensing an extreme deterioration in the spirit stream in the –" Fuuka was about to go on, before Junpei cut her off mid-sentence.

"Uh, Fuuka, what does that all mean?"

"It means that neither I nor Chidori can provide support for you here at the entrance, we'll have to come with you if you want our support. We just don't have enough power to get through the spirit energy that the Lake is emitting."

"I see…then that means no one stays behind! We have no reason to guard the entrance now…that means you too, father!" Mitsuru ordered to all of S.E.E.S. Her father simply agreed, asking to be lent a gun for their first foray into the heart of hell.

As soon as they stepped through the gate, everything changed. What once was a floor of pure lava was now water. Although the walls were still covered with fire, the stark contrast between water and fire was enough to inspire Fuuka to remark: "it's deceitfully beautiful."

Careful not to touch the walls of the maze, lest Hell rip their souls from their bodies, Fuuka, Chidori, and Mitsuru combined their psychic powers to lend S.E.E.S. a hand in the navigation of the abyss. Their combined analysis would (hopefully and theoretically) prevent them from going off track in the maze of fire. But what was _really_ surprising wasn't the Lake or any of its details, but the fact that, while Fuuka detected shadows _everywhere_, none could be seen.

"This is really beginning to scare me…I'm detected a large contingent of shadows beyond that corner but…"

Junpei ran to the corner and back, then back to the corner again.

"There's nothing here, Fuuka! Do you think the Lake is interfering with our – oh my God!"

"Junpei, what is it!?" shouted Fuuka, distressed for Junpei. But he seemed to be in no physical harm, instead, he was backing slowly from the corner, looking down at the floor and reaching down for his evoker. "Junpei…"

"I think…we should all…back up…_very_, very slowly…" he said as he hurried his way back to the group, eventually hiding behind Yukari. She rolled her eyes at his immaturity and went over to the corner to find out what was the matter.

"Junpei, what the hell are you – gah!?" And there it was. Underneath the sheet of water she was walking on, staring her in the face was the largest shadow she had ever seen. The black, gelatinous body. The reddish-yellow eyes. The hands that seemed to want to rip her apart in an instant…

"Let's…Junpei has a good point now…run!" Takeba took off running without waiting for the remaining members of S.E.E.S. to follow her.

"Takeba, wait!" shouted Mitsuru who started running to catch up to Yukari. The other members of S.E.E.S. followed suit, none of them daring to look down at the sea of reddish-yellow eyes staring up at them through the abyss. "Takeba! Takeba!" shouted Mitsuru. Their psychic analysis told her that Takeba was nearby, but wasn't moving…a few more steps around the corner and…

They could see – from their position at least, that Yukari Takeba was not harmed, that she was alive, and that, if one discounted her current environment, she was well. If one looked passed her a few meters, then they could see a large clearing in the flames. If one looked up into the clearing in the flames, one could see a giant dinosaur-looking machine that fielded several weapons. It mounted several machine guns, a massive rail gun on its right shoulder, and a large sensor array on its left shoulder. On its torso was the emblem on the L.O.S.T., on its head was the emblem of S.E.E.S.

"What the –"

"_I have tried to sway you all to the light of Salvation…you would not listen…why will you not listen?" _it asked. The machine spoke in an extremely deep voice. Metallic. Commanding. Forceful. _"If you will not listen…then you must die."_

And in the blink of an eye, everything they had fought for changed. When once they had fought for the benefit of the world, now they fought for survival. And as they dodged the bullets of the mecha, they couldn't help but hear the slight splashing of water.


	26. Masters of the Shadows

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is currently being 1337.

**Chapter XXV: Masters of the Shadows**

_You're one to talk!_

The mech moved. When it did, it sent ripples across the surface of the water, forcing the members of S.E.E.S. to regain their balance. It wasn't terribly large…it was only the size of the S.E.E.S. dorm, but then again, they had faced tougher enemies before. They could take it on…

"Akihiko!" shouted Mitsuru when she saw Akihiko get shot, blood gushing from his shoulder like a fountain. He instantly jumped back and began grasping his shoulder in pain, Aigis covering him while he escaped behind the corner

"Heh. It's just a flesh wound," he said, trying to sound cool. By the blood that was forming by his mouth, however, Mitsuru could tell it was not _just a flesh wound_, and instantly ordered Chidori to heal his shoulder. "I swear…the bullet just grazed me and it tore off half my shoulder-blade…what the hell…"

"_Do not hide…be honorable to your friends and your souls…"_ the mech said. It's voice was truly creepy.

Right now, the only person engaging the mech in combat was Aigis, and even _she_ was having a hard time dodging its attacks. Everyone else had congregated around the corner in order to formulate some sort of strategy.

"Blast the hell out of it!" whispered Junpei. Upon seeing the damage it had done to Akihiko, Junpei wasn't taking any chances.

"Fuuka, can you analyze it?" asked Mitsuru.

"Already did. It seems to be immune against all magic. Only direct physical attacks will work on it…" Fuuka said while taking a peek around the corner to look at the mech. While physically attacking it would supposedly work, none of the members of S.E.E.S. were willing to get shot and die in order to take the thing out. They needed a new plan…

"Aigis, see if you can shoot it in order to damage something!"

"Roger that!" Aigis shouted, sliding underneath the mech's legs and firing her albieros without reservation. The bullets _did_ make dents in the mech's armor, but other than that, it seemed to merely shrug off the attacks with ease.

"_You fools…you can't see the futility of it all? It would be much better to die a peaceful death in this world rather than a violent one in the next. I may grant you either…it is your choice…It is not too late to change your fate…"_

"Damn right it's not too late for us to change our fate, ya' bastard!" Junpei stood to yell at the mech, but when it turned one of its guns to face Junpei (and specifically, when Junpei saw the barrel beginning to spin) he ducked back under cover.

"Damn it! How're we supposed to defeat that thing when –" they heard a loud 'crunching' sound, before an injured Aigis jumped back to the cover of the corner. Her right hand was completely missing and one could see the various wires and cords sticking out from the violent intrusion into her arm.

"I am sorry. I have failed to defeat it." Aigis said, her eyes downcast.

"Great. _Now_ what do we do. Aigis is the only one that can't get killed against that…wait a second…Fuuka, Chidori, Mitsuru…can't you three channel your persona's energy into creating a magnetic field to stop the bullets?" asked Akihiko, the blood on his shirt still fresh from when he was shot.

"We can try, hold on…Chidori! Yamagishi! On my mark, we create a stasis field next to the battle-mech! You ready?" she asked. Chidori and Fuuka nodded their heads and brought their evokers to their heads to prepare. "Three, two, one…mark!"

As they each pulled the trigger on their evoker and as their personas worked together and intertwined to create a barrier, time and space distorted around them. So much so that when the field was completed, there was nothing between the mech and S.E.E.S. but an expanse of false color. Akihiko went out in front of the barrier in order to test it out. He punched it once and the barrier cramped his fist and repelled it back to its original position.

"Yeah, take that you bastard! You can't shoot me from here!" shouted Akihiko. Whether or not the mech could see him was one thing, but Akihiko could hear the mech firing its machine guns at him. When he wasn't harmed, Akihiko began to laugh. "Not so tough now, are ya'!"

Big mistake.

The firing ceased for a few seconds, prompting some members of S.E.E.S. to poke their heads from around the corner and look at the barrier. Somewhere through the barrier, a small green light could be seen, accompanied by an unknown sound. Sort of like the sound a computer makes when it boots up, only…

There was a massive explosion of water directly in front of Akihiko as the barrier collapsed. Akihiko was thrown backwards with such force that – had Aigis not been behind him to catch him and break his fall – he would've flown right into a wall of fire and lost his soul to Hell. The barrier of false color collapsed, S.E.E.S. could directly see a plume of smoke coming from the immense cannon on the mech's right shoulder.

"_Such a tragic decision to choose Death…Now, you will meet your End"_ the mech said, taking a step towards S.E.E.S. and causing them all to collapse with its sheer weight and vibration.

"No! We will not submit!"

"Mitsuru, look out!" Akihiko was forced to tackle Mitsuru out of the way as the mech began firing its machine guns at them all. The bullets could clearly cut any of them in half easily, and it wasn't so much a battle now as it was a mystical dance of survival. Moving their feet and bodies to the crackling of a machine gun, the mech stood over them with such power and stature as to intimidate them all.

"_Goodbye."_ It said one last time, before the barrels began spinning and the members of S.E.E.S. noticed a swishing sound around their heads…

And the first thing they all noticed, besides the fact that they weren't dead, was that there was a massive stop sign lodged in the sensor array of the mech's left shoulder. The second thing they noticed was that the mech seemed to be backing away, its machine guns firing, but they were firing wildly into the sky, illuminating it with tracer fire.

And the third thing they noticed…

"God damn it, Aki, I can't leave any of you alone for a second, can I?" said a voice coming up from down the way. Its footsteps making slight tapping noises as they hit the water.

Akihiko turned around after taking a good look at the damaged mech.

"No…"

The eternal frown.

"It's not…"

The stolen traffic post over his shoulder.

"Possible…"

The deep crimson coat and black hat.

"Shinjiro!?"

"Heh. So I see you're all still alive. Kudos to you. My question is, why am I stuck helping you guys save yourselves again?" he said as he swung the traffic post from his shoulder, visibly pissed off.

"Aragaki-san!" Ken shouted, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Not now…God, I don't have time for this shit…" Shinjiro took the post in his hand and used it as a javelin, throwing it with such a force as to completely pierce the armor of the mech through the sensor array. Without it, the mech was blind. They could hear a human screaming from the inside of the mech, steam venting out of the side of the mech's head, before it opened up to reveal its possessor.

"You all never _learn_, do you!? This world will _end_. You will die no matter what you do! Why do you prevent the inevitable!" a voice shouted from the cover of steam and smoke. At first, they were unable to identify its owner. But as Yukari used a garudyne skill to clear the cockpit of any smoke cover the pilot had, everything became clear…

Sitting there in the cockpit seat of the battle-mech was Shuji Ikutsuki, his face covered in sweat and blood.

"You're so damn _selfish_…clinging to this useless world even though the End is near…and the Rebirth of the World shall bring new life and Salvation!" using visual confirmation this time, he used the mech's controls to aim its weapons at S.E.E.S. But unlike the computerized and ultra-advanced systems he was using earlier, he began missing by huge margins when his physical strength could not correct the recoil from the guns.

"Damn it! Can't you see!? This world will destroy itself anyway! War, pestilence, famine, and disease! They will be the Doom of Mankind is we don't act today! If we do not correct this cycle today, then mankind is doomed!" Ikutsuki, losing all control to his mech, eventually settled on gradually powering up his railgun cannon.

"Yeah…we will change the world, but we won't end it. _He_ changed the world by ending his life. We're not about to forget that," Junpei said, picking himself up from the floor and pulling his pistol from his jacket.

"Yes…He gave his life so that others may live…so that the world could see a brighter tomorrow…" Yukari used Junpei's shoulder to bring herself next to him, aiming her pistol at the exact spot Junpei was aiming at.

"We won't give up…we won't give in…we _will_ defeat you…" said Mitsuru, pulling out her own pistol and aiming it at Ikutsuki's head.

"That's too bad…oh well, I guess it ends tonight, then?" Ikutsuki said, aiming his railgun at them and pulling the trigger…

They could have died. They would have died. And they _should_ have died, had it not been for Shinjiro's quick thinking once he saw the green light coming from the railgun. He had seized the Spear of Longinus from Ken and thrown it into the path of the projectile.

The Spear which pierced Christ's side absorbed an immense amount of energy before disintegrating. The round from the railgun fell harmlessly to the floor.

"No! That can't be! No!"

"Sorry, Ikutsuki…but now _you_ must die so that others may live…" Yukari said before pulling the trigger. The crackling of gunfire could be heard for a good ten seconds before Junpei, Yukari, and Mitsuru all put their pistols down. The body of Shuji Ikutsuki left dangling in his battle-mech, dead.

"And now…the hard part begins…" said Shinjiro, looking up at the Palacio del Diablo. It's dome larger than ever, its presence more imposing…

Tonight it would end. But as they began to walk passed the mech, thinking of how they would face their final enemy, they could hear just the slightest splash of water in the distance..

NOTE: For anyone curious, the battle-mech in this chapter would probably best be described as an SMT version of Metal Gear REX.


	27. Annihilation

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is so awesome, they get free gasoline.

**Chapter XXVI: Annihilation**

_Soon it will descend upon us…upon us all…_

"Move it! Move it now!"

"Why did they surface _now_!?"

"Who _cares_, just run!"

The various members of S.E.E.S. had barely more than recognized Shinji's return before a horde of shadows had surfaced from underwater and began chasing them through the maze that was the Lake of Fire. Takehiro Kirijo turned around every now and then to shoot at the shadows.

"_You!_ I remember you from somewhere pops…" remarked Shinji as he ran with the rest of S.E.E.S. He didn't have an evoker or a weapon, so he was running for his life.

"Save that for later, son! For now, just run!" snapped Takehiro.

Never in their lives had S.E.E.S. seen so many shadows simultaneously. Especially chasing them… As they passed more and more of the pathways on the water, it appeared as if more shadows surfaced from the depths.

"Turn left here! This should lead to the Palace!" Fuuka told them all as they ran away from the shadows. They would've fought them but…even the weakest of shadows are strong enough in enough numbers.

They followed her instructions, turning left at the corner onto a stretch of maze that seemed to go on endlessly. The only respite from their troubles was that the Palace could be seen very easily now, its details growing in size and visibility with each step they took. From this close, one could easily see the blood-stained windows which were low in the wall. One could see the massive jade dome that seemed to cast an evil glow around the Palace. And one could see the support columns made from human bones and leaking blood.

"Please…help us…"

They kept running…it was the only thing they could do. The only way to survive…

_Six Months Ago_

"_So how 'bout it, Yukari? What d'ya say about us two going out?" the boy stupidly asked, his grin growing wider by the second while his buddies watched from outside in the hall. Yukari didn't answer. She was too busy doing mathematical calculations in her notebook._

"_Hey – did ya' hear me?" the boy asked again impatiently._

"_Yeah. I heard you. You don't interest me, so buzz off," she said rather bluntly. The boys in the hall were laughing their asses of, while the boy who had just asked her out was a bit embarrassed and angry._

"_Hey, do you know who I am, you don't turn _me_ down!" the boy raised his voice and Yukari stopped writing for barely a few seconds._

"_Really? Who are you then? Last time I remembered your father's dealership fell through and he became a drunkard, so who are you really?" she said flatly before turning back to her work. The boy grabbed her arm violently and brought her face close to his._

"_Listen, damn it –"_

_Yukari had picked up her share of fighting moves from S.E.E.S. since their adventures in Tartarus and instantly knocked the boy out, sending his buddies out in the hall to duck for cover or run away when Yukari turned her gaze towards them. It had been seven months since _he_ died. Ever since that day, Yukari's heart has been aching and faltering with each step she took. _

_The mathematical calculations in her notebook were not for school either. Rather, they were a part of a grandiose mathematical algorithm provided by the school's nurse/ divination teacher. She was crunching the numbers on the possibility that Minato might still be alive. And if he was dead, whether or not it was possible to bring him back to life._

_Of course, in all her calculations, the results remained the same: Minato was dead and gone and would stay that way forever._

_At first she had doubted the results. She still placed some faith in the cards, telling her that he would soon return…but she didn't know what to think anymore. Today was her fourteenth calculation and the results were still the same…_

_Why did it all have to happen? She wondered. Why? Why…after all they had been through together…why did he have to die? Granted, he died saving the world, but to Yukari, it was a terrible price to pay._

_She decided to go up to the roof, the place where they had shared so many memories…When she got up there, it was empty with the exception of the shadows of the windmills that graced Iwatodai Bay. The sun was beginning to set…how beautiful it was: to know that something so precious could exist now and forever._

_She sat down on one of the benches and turned her head slightly to look at the gleaming skyscrapers along the coast. It was all so beautiful…To not only die saving the world but to die saving the good and the beautiful…why did he have to be so cool, even in death?_

_Yukari tried not to think about him. She tried to move on. She went out with a few boys since his death, but the feeling remained the same. It was as if her heart was about to tear out of her body. Every time she talked with one of them on a date, she was always thinking about _him_. Every time they wanted to kiss or hold hands, she turned away or said she was sick…_

"_It's not healthy to brood, you know," remarked one voice from the corner of her eye. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed the door being opened._

"_Oh, hey Junpei," she said when she cocked her head to face him, her voice monotone and uninterested._

"_Why so down?" he asked._

"_It's nothing…just too much on my mind…first my dad and now Minato-kun…all the stuff that's happened over the last ten years…it makes me wonder if…oh it's nothing – why am I troubling you, Junpei? Don't you have to that girl out on a date?"_

"_Nah…she broke up with me once she saw some new kid from Osaka," Junpei sighed. Yukari merely nodded._

"_Y'know…we brought down Tartarus but…it makes me wonder…all we've been through…will we ever be normal?" she asked him, her eyes half-closed._

"_What _is_ normal? I thought we were all normal back in the day…despite, you know, going into Tartarus to save an ungrateful world from demons…oh, and yeah, having my own girlfriend be able to cut herself and heal herself simultaneously…"_

"_Heh. Yeah." _

_They were both looking out on Iwatodai Bay now. Looking out on the beauty of the world, even though, in their hearts, there was nothing but darkness. Yukari slipped a bit on the bench and laid her head on Junpei's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind. Their troubles were far more important than anything else in life right now._

"_Junpei?" she said, sleepily._

"_Hm?"_

"_We need to drink…"_

"_Heh, I thought you'd never ask," Junpei said, helping her off his shoulder and helping her get off the bench. He opened the door for her back downstairs and the two friends walked together towards Hagakure, hoping to catch a fresh batch of sake…_

"Minato…I'm so sorry…I – I love you…" This was the end of their road. Everyone was firing their weapons without reservation.

"I'm out of ammo!"

"Too bad! Use your persona!"

Yukari herself was crying while she was pulling the trigger. No matter how many shadows they felled, more kept appearing, each wave getting closer to S.E.E.S. than the last. This would be their final battle. Tonight would be the harbinger of their annihilation.

A shadow had managed to creep back underwater and emerge from the depths directly behind S.E.E.S. It forced its icy grip upon Yukari, pulling at her, attempting to suck her into the depths to devour her soul.

This was their Final Hour…


	28. Revelation

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is currently entrusting its fate to the cards.

**Book III: RES**

**Chapter XXVII: Revelation**

_The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate…Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yes. The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…Attaining one's dream requires a stern will and unfailing determination._

"I'm outta' ammo!"

"Too bad! Use your persona!"

Suddenly, a shadow burst from the depths and was struggling to take Yukari down to Hell with it. Junpei saw the spectacle and stabbed one of its hands with his sword. It screamed, let go of Yukari, and disappeared back into the water.

"You okay?" he asked while lending her a hand to get up from the floor.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine…"

"No, you're not fine dumbasses! Now get back here and help us contain these things!" Shinji shouted at them. Out of all of them, Shinji was the furthest out into the crowd of shadows. Using the traffic post as his weapons, it was frightening to see him take several shadows down all by himself.

Mitsuru and Akihiko were doing fairly well too. Even without firearms their strength was frightening. Maybe it was because they had the most experience in fighting shadows? Or maybe it was because they refused to let another one of their team members die.

But that hope faded when the water began to rippled and the shadows began to run away…

"What in the…what's going on?" asked Akihiko, "Fuuka, analyze!"

Fuuka brought out Juno using her evoker and…

"Oh no…oh no…we have to run!" she yelled in a panicked voice.

"Fuuka, what's –" Mitsuru was cut short by Fuuka's answer.

"It's...oh my…" While Shinji, Akihiko, and Mitsuru were waiting for an answer, the rest of S.E.E.S., including Fuuka, were staring intently behind them.

"What is it Fuuka!? Tell us!" shouted Shinji. Fuuka simply raised her arm and pointed behind him.

When they turned around, nothing filled them with more anxiety and fear: another battle-mech. But this one looked more…organic. It's cockpit door was open as well. Sitting there, smiling, was Shuji Ikutsuki. His skin was as black as the night and his eyes were glowing reddish-yellow. He had sold his soul to the Devil in order to become a shadow…

"Heh! You thought you killed me!? You thought you could stop this!? This place…this Lake of Fire…leads nowhere but Hell! You think you can fight Hell and win!? Do you!?" Ikutsuki was done with high-minded dreams of ruling the world. He was done with long-tirades on the justice of destroying the world. He was done with S.E.E.S. They would die here and now.

"I'll kill you all! Hah! I'll kill you all right now!"

The green light cast from the moonlight hitting the dome of the Palace grew in intensity. Out of the corner of their eyes, the members of S.E.E.S. could just barely make out a slight glimmer in the jade dome. That glimmer eventually expanded into a full-grown explosion. The dome of the Palace shattered from the intense heat and a massive fireball was thrown into the air.

Debris flew into the air. One massive piece of debris in particular hit the water in between S.E.E.S. and the battle-mech. And then…

It roared. Filling the sky with its terrible screams. Not to be out-done, the organic battle-mech also roared. Two monstrosities filling the hearts of S.E.E.S. with so much fear that they were paralyzed. Even Shinjiro didn't dare go near the two roaring beasts.

In its hand was a massive sword easily the size of the battle-mech. It was chained by several holy shields and its head was covered in a white armor.

It instantly jumped out of sight, into the path of the moon. The battle-mech, distracted by this new enemy, began firing its weaponry at the beast without regard to anything else. The machine gun bullets didn't do any noticeable harm and the railgun round…that was sliced in half by the monster.

"No…it can't be…Thanatos?" Yukari muttered, still staring up at the sky at the monster levitating in the sky.

"I _will_ kill you!" Ikutsuki shouted, firing his main weapon from the battle-mech: a nuclear-tipped missile.

In an instant, Thanatos was gone. In his place was a massive distortion of time and space so powerful that it threw the Dark Hour into darkness, even if it was only for a second. The missile rammed itself directly into the distortion and disappeared from this universe forever.

Pretty soon, the distortion collapsed as Thanatos returned to this dimension. Its sword in hand, it quickly dove towards the battle-mech and rammed the sword straight through it. Impaling Ikutsuki through his torso in the process. Even though his wounds were great, Ikutsuki still managed to get one cryptic message out to S.E.E.S.

"It takes a Messiah to stop The Fall of Man…and…this world has run out of Saviors…"

Ikutsuki disintegrated into black spirit particles right then and there. His soul would descend to Hell once again, and this time, he wouldn't be able to bargain his way back to life. The members of S.E.E.S. looked on as Thanatos turned to them, before bowing.

Obviously, when a persona of the Death arcana bows to you, there is a slight sense of surprise. A little more surprising when it begins to _speak_ to you…

"_Come with me. I shall lead you to the One you seek,"_ it said. Most of them simply nodded, while Shinjiro shouted at the persona.

"Why should we trust _you_, huh? What the hell was that!"

"_I do not recognize you like the others…But you shall have your answer soon enough."_ Being of the Death arcana, Thanatos quickly used its sword to tear through the walls of flame in the Lake of Fire, clearing a path for the rest of S.E.E.S.

Taking a direct route to the Palace of the Devil, they arrived there in almost no time at all. The route to the Palace wasn't as long as they had originally thought. When they arrived at the front gate, they could easily see the doors into the Palace. They were made from the most beautiful ivory that S.E.E.S. could have ever known, and it was the only part of the Palace that wasn't covered in blood.

"_The Gates of Deception…You wonder why God does not take care of the evils in the world? Those Gates are made from the bones of God himself…now…go forth into the courtyard. May your vision become clear as you come to the source of your faith…" _Thanatos urged them on, while the persona would idle on standby while S.E.E.S. progressed through the courtyard of the Palace.

The palace grounds were massive. The palace itself rivaled a small city in size, but as S.E.E.S. progressed through the courtyard, they could all remember a familiar feeling: hope. None of them knew what it was until they reached the Gates of Deception.

Standing there, staring up at the Gates, was a boy. His blue hair waving in the wind, he took a slight glance sideways, before calling back to Thanatos.

"Ryoji! Return!" he shouted. His voice was instantly recognizable by S.E.E.S.

"No way…"

"Oh my – "

"Holy shit…"

"You've gotta' be kiddin' me!"

"You're…"

"Back!" Yukari ran up to Minato and tackled him to the ground, hugging him with all her strength, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"I see somebody missed me?" he said in a calming voice. Using his left hand to hug Yukari back and his right to make a thumbs up sign to Junpei. Yukari simply nodded her head, before Thanatos – or Ryoji – returned.

"_Now is the time…"_


	29. Last Hope

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is currently being the master of the shadows.

**Chapter XXVIII: Last Hope**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…The silent voice within one's heart whispers the most profound wisdom._

Yukari's euphoria didn't last long. It was soon overcome by anger and frustration. Unfortunately for Minato, the only one to vent that frustration on (and the very one she blamed for all her anger) was him.

"You stupid _bastard_!" Minato shielded his face while Yukari tried to punch him. He didn't try to dodge them, there would be no point. "You could've at least contacted us…at least come to us…"

Minato looked down at the crying brunette while she beat his chest, before looking back up at S.E.E.S.

"Thanks for taking care of her, Junpei…"

"Huh? How'd you know?" Junpei asked; a little startled at what Minato had said to him. It was true, though. Junpei had sworn upon his death that he would care for Yukari to his own death. He owed Minato that much at least.

"The dead see all…" Minato responded, still holding Yukari to him while Aigis walked up to him.

"Are you…actually…" Aigis, for the first time since her creation, was at a loss for words. At the hospital, it was Aigis who had witnessed Minato flat line. It was Aigis who had held him in his dying breath. Even if the Dark Hour had brought him back to life, she just couldn't believe it.

"_Yes…we are both alive and well. I see our three friends from the Heavens are alive and well, too?"_ Ryoji said, still in Thanatos form.

"Oh yes, you two were in that spirit cloud, too, weren't you?" asked Chidori, "but that's strange…why couldn't I remember before now?"

"That's interesting...Shinjiro, do you remember them from the cloud as well?" asked Takehiro Kirijo, his armed folded and his face deep in thought.

"Yeah…but I only started to remember the spirit cloud when I saw you and that girl over there. I couldn't actually remember who was in that cloud until I met them…" he said while spitting on the ground.

"Hm…it could be that…only by physically meeting the other people on the spirit cloud may we remember them…Six spirits. Five are gathered here…"

"_Yes…However, shall we focus on the issue currently at ha-"_ Ryoji was cut off by a loud clinking sound from inside the Palace, followed by an impossibly loud roar.

"What the hell was _that_!?" asked Junpei. He had to cover his ears from the sound of the beast.

"_It is the Reaper. It is hungry for blood…"_

"Great. Another monster that can destroy the world. Just tell me how to kill it," said Shinji, shouldering his traffic post and looking up at the Gates of Deception with vengeful eyes.

"_It…is not so simple…for those who have died because of the Dark Hour, we are brought back to life…however, if we kill the Reaper, it will end the Dark Hour…and subsequently…"_

"You're telling me I'll die _again_!? Son of a –" shouted Shinji. Everyone was surprised. Mitsuru looked at her father, Junpei looked at Chidori, and Yukari hugged Minato even closer.

"_Of course, you can choose to belay your imminent battle and allow history to take its predestined course, as it was supposed to occur one year ago…"_

"But we humans are a resilient species…as Takeba put it back at Yakushima, 'perhaps we do not need a God anymore, because perhaps our ability to change Fate itself is greater than God…' I refuse to believe that there's nothing we can do!" shouted Mitsuru. Akihiko looked at her with a stunned look. Never before had she been so determined, and as the _de facto_ leader of S.E.E.S., that eventually translated into greater determination for the rest of them.

Not this time, though. Now, _everyone_ had everything to lose. Unlike the battle against Nyx, they would lose a lot whether they won the battle or died trying. They would lose even more by doing nothing.

"So…I'll let _him_ decide. We're all alive today because he _chose_ to do something…" she looked at Minato with determination and nodded. He nodded back, before taking a careful look at everyone around him.

Junpei fought for Chidori.

Chidori fought for Junpei.

Mitsuru fought to atone for her ancestors' sins.

Akihiko fought for his strength, but secretly wanted to better the world.

Shinjiro fought to rid the world of evil and atone for his own sins.

Ken fought for his mother's memory.

Takehiro fought to protect his daughter.

Koromaru fought to avenge his master.

Fuuka fought to protect her friends.

Yukari fought for her father and for him.

And what did he fight for?

He fought for all those things and more. He would gladly die – and already did – to protect his fellow teammates in S.E.E.S. He looked at them one more time and saw _that_ look in their eyes. The glint of such strong determination that they would be willing to throw down their lives for each other. This was the S.E.E.S. he knew. This was the S.E.E.S. he fell in love with.

S.E.E.S. was back. Minato looked in Mitsuru's direction and nodded his head.

"This isn't going to be a squad operation…I want all of S.E.E.S. involved…everyone. Either we'll win and prevent the End of the World…or we'll die…but we'll accomplish it together…and I have no doubt that we'll win."

Mitsuru smiled a bit. This was the Minato she knew, "very well. As of right now, I'm transferring operational command of S.E.E.S. over to you. Please formulate a strategy for us to use!"

"_You had better hurry…I sense that the Dark Hour will end in precisely seventy seconds. However, once you head through the Gates of Deception, the clock will stop until either you or the Reaper is dead…"_

"Thanks for making a bleak situation look even bleaker, Ryoji," sighed Junpei. "Make the call, dude."

"We're _all_ going in. This ends right now…this isn't about destroying the Dark Hour anymore, it's about creating a world where we can exist without the dark specter of annihilation hanging over our heads…Ryoji! Open the gates!"

"_Yes…"_

At once, Ryoji swung his mighty sword and thrust it deep into the center between the two gates made from the bones of God. The gates, for the first time in millennia opened. The gates made no sound when they opened and, if one listened carefully, one could hear the very _air_ rushing into the palace chamber from the Lake of Fire.

"_Thirty seconds…"_

"Don't worry, Ryoji…no matter what the outcome of this battle, the world's suffering ends tonight…" said Minato. It was his job and duty to inspire and rally the members of S.E.E.S. and, with Yukari still in his arms, he dashed towards the pearly white Gates of Deception. The other members of S.E.E.S., including Ryoji, soon followed.

They all made it inside the palace chamber very fast. Fast enough to see the light from the Lake of Fire start to drain as the gates began to close. Pretty soon, the entire palace chamber was thrust into darkness, the only light coming from the yellow moon above. That was, of course, before even the moon was thrust into darkness, and S.E.E.S. was left alone in the Entrance to Hell.


	30. To Kill a Devil

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus. The two battle-mechs previously featured also belong to Hideo Kojima, as they were Metal Gears REX and RAY, respectively.

**Chapter XXIX: To Kill A Devil…**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…celebrate life's grandeur…its brilliance…its magnificence…_

Across the world, paranormal organizations exist to combat supernatural evil and protect human society from harm. In fact, the great empires of the Ancient World, from Egypt to Rome to China, all existed as massive supernatural "police agencies".

Usually, these organizations develop separately from one another and develop their own tactics in fighting supernatural evil. For the Vatican, it is using holy objects and psychic abilities to ward off evil. For the Knights of Malta, it is brute force. For the Free Masons, it is methodical control of the physical world to exterminate "outbreaks". And for S.E.E.S., it is using the power of evil _itself_ to defeat evil.

All these organizations share one common trait, however, and that is the study and categorization of supernatural events. The Tartarus Campaign, as it is known worldwide, was a boon for paranormal research across the globe. Every paper and essay released had the same consensus: that when Nyx, the Harbinger of Death, was defeated, The Fall would be indefinitely delayed. And that when Tartarus was destroyed, there would be a massive reduction in paranormal abnormalities.

How wrong they were.

Nyx was merely a Harbinger, _not_ death itself. Nyx could control the Shadows – the bringers of death – including the most notorious and deadliest shadow of all: The Reaper.

When Nyx was sealed, The Reaper lost its ability to roam Hell freely, and was sealed as well. But with the return of the Dark Hour, and the appearance of the Palacio del Diablo, The Reaper was allowed the ability to summon itself to the physical world.

Little did S.E.E.S. know that when they defeated Nyx, they would be sealing mankind's fate against the Bringer of Death…

PLACE: PALACIO DEL DIABLO

TIME: 25:59

PURPOSE: TO KILL A DEVIL

The Reaper was a massive being. Its face horribly burned and its body was twisted. Its hands and feet were bound to the palace chamber by large chains and its body was bound tightly by three massive rings of light. It appeared to be sleeping. If it _was_ sleeping, then the sounds coming from it were demonic snores. If not, then it was awake, and it was _angry_.

"W – what…the hell?" Junpei couldn't stop staring at it. Where its eyes were supposed to be were simple black holes that seemed to drift into infinity…

"_That is the Reaper…it cannot move in that state. Not when it is bound by the Rings of Life."_

"The hell are the Rings of Life? Ya' mind telling us humans what you're talkin' about!?" shouted Shinji, too annoyed to be bothered by Ryoji's overly complicated explanations.

"_They are all that stand between you and certain death. They bind the Reaper so that it may not move, attack, or defend itself…"_

"So let's kill the damn thing right now and get it over w-"

"_It is not so simple…they are the Rings of _Life_. While they bind the Reaper, he may not be killed – or harmed in any way for that matter…the only way you may do battle with him is to dispel the rings…"_

"Well, how do we do that, Ryoji-kun?" asked Fuuka, eager to help.

"_I'm glad it was you who asked, Fuuka…we would need an extreme amount of psychic energy to dispel the Rings of Life…it was God himself who sacrificed himself to bind the Reaper, the bonds will not break easily…"_

"So, what makes you think we can break the bonds?" asked Mitsuru, herself getting annoyed by Ryoji's answers, in no small part because of the demon hanging just a few meters away.

"_Why, we have three extremely skilled psychics among us, do we not? Remove the rings, and let us do battle with the enemy…"_

"Okay! Mitsuru, Chidori, are you ready!?"

"Fuuka, you're surprisingly energetic about this…" remarked Mitsuru, who showed pessimism in their abilities to dispel the Rings of Life.

"It will be fine…I know we can succeed…you did it once, didn't you?" asked Chidori, who walked over to Fuuka and held her hand to join their psychic abilities together. She beckoned Mitsuru to join them.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Mitsuru said as she walked over to Fuuka and Chidori. They joined their hands, huddling in a circle and muttering incantations while the rest of the team prepared battle positions.

The light of the rings flickered and…just kept flickering. Eventually, they would return to their normal positions and return to full intensity. If the Reaper was disturbed, it didn't look like it.

"What happened?" asked Akihiko, honestly confused.

"I don't know! We sent out a psychic burst every two seconds but –"

"_That's it, then. Only a continued stream of psychic energy can disable the rings. If your combined psychic powers could disable the rings for just a second at a time, then you should be able to disable them indefinitely so long as you keep that stream up!"_

"But, if we do that…" Fuuka looked to the side but Chidori finished her sentence when she couldn't say it.

"It took us all of our energy to send out each burst…if we do a continual stream…we won't be able to provide support of any kind. Analysis, healing, extraction…you'd be fighting Hell with no backup…and there are no respawns…did I just say respawn? I _have _been hanging around Junpei too much…"

"Hey!" Junpei looked embarrassed. The team chuckled a bit. Not Shinjiro, though…

"Hey! What the hell are you all laughing for!? In case you haven't noticed, there's a massive fucking _demon_ in front of us and we can't leave this god-forsaken place until its dead!" he shouted, swinging the traffic pole in one arm like it was nothing. "…Or, we could all sit here and die. But I'm telling you right now, death ain't all it's cracked up to be…"

They all looked at each other again. Never before had such a large decision rested on their shoulders. Not even their battle with Nyx could compare to this.

"Tonight, let's look Death in the face…release all apprehension and go forward with the wind…" Minato said loudly, looking down at the brunette who was still in his arms. "Tonight, let's save the world…"

"Agreed!" Akihiko shouted, his mind made up. The three psychic girls all nodded, held each others' hands as tightly as they could, and went into deep concentration.

"No matter what happens today, the sun shall keep shining now and forever…but let's give the world a second chance to see the sunrise!" Aigis shouted. Aigis looked in Minato's direction and smiled. Even if she hadn't swayed his heart, Minato had given her a purpose in life. He had given her hope. Tonight, she would return the favor.

And as Fuuka, Mitsuru, and Chidori focused all their spiritual energy into disabling the Rings of Life, everyone looked within themselves to find their true determination.

Yukari managed to wiggle her way out of Minato's arms to settle on the ground, looking deep into his eyes.

"Minato…even if we don't make it out of this…I love you…" she whispered to him.

He looked back into her eyes, stroked her hair, and whispered back "I know," before he turned his head to the side to face Ryoji.

"Ryoji…please…be my persona….be my strength for this battle!"

If Ryoji could cry in his Thanatos form, he would. Tonight was his time to atone for all his sins as the Appriser of Death. Tonight, Ryoji would reclaim his honor and dignity. He nodded to Minato and drew his sword and pointed it at the Reaper.

"_Yes…it shall end tonight…we shall be victorious…and-"_

Before Ryoji could finish, the girls had broken through the Rings of Life. They flickered once again, but this time, they were put out, and the chamber was thrust into absolute darkness.

A pillar of fire shot up from below, filling the palace chamber with light. Just enough light for S.E.E.S. to see that the Reaper was now free and was smiling at them. The exact same smile Nyx had given them one year ago…


	31. And Save the World

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus. And I just noticed how many unintentional music references are in this fic…

Author's Note: Also, I am not a religious man, in fact, I don't belong to any religion. The extreme Judeo-Christian references in this fic are there because: they are easy to work with (I understand them and most of my audience will as well), they allow me to fit cool things into the storyline, and they're extremely flexible and I can bend them to my will if I want. I do not intend to praise or expand any religion, and I hope no one is offended with the Christian references in this fic.

**Chapter XXX:…And Save the World**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…only courage in the face of doubt can lead one to the answer._

When God created man, he did it for a single purpose: to _have _a purpose. Until the creation of the Universe and Man, God had no purpose, and thus, he created one for himself. He created the universe and all the beauty within it.

Unfortunately, even God has to obey some universal laws. Laws such as equal transaction and the even distribution of Good and Evil. And thus, with the creation of the universe, God unintentionally set up an infinite number of parallel dimensions, as well as an alter-heaven. What humans refer to as "Hell".

When Hell and its beings manifest themselves in the human realm, they must do so in a special dimension. Inter-dimensional beings cannot directly interact with each other, so a special dimension was formed by Lucifer – the King of Hell – to have an impact on the human realm. Humans, especially those with strong supernatural powers, are sometimes able to see into this demonic realm. It is mostly referred to as Purgatory, or, in the case of S.E.E.S., the Dark Hour.

It is within this realm that the forces of Good and Evil did battle with each other for control over the fate of humanity. However, eventually, God – realizing his purpose for existence was humanity itself – sacrificed himself to give Humanity strength…When God died, his knowledge and his powers were dispersed across the universe for humanity to discover. Humanity was spared a reprieve from extinction at the price of its God, and in the process, humanity also gained the strength to ensure its survival.

However, the forces of Evil had other plans in store for humanity…as a plan to gain control over mankinds' collective consciousness, they planned to let humanity destroy itself…and if that didn't work, they would destroy it themselves by invading the human realm through the Dark Hour. The arbiter of this unholy invasion would be…

PLACE: PALACIO DEL DIABLO

TIME: 25:59

PURPOSE: TO SAVE THE WORLD

"_Who art thou that hast awakened me from my slumber? Hast thou given up the will to live as to offer thine soul to me?"_ They could all hear the Reaper speaking to them…but, the weird thing was…its mouth wasn't moving. In fact, its mouth was stitched shut with heavy steel wire. It

must've been using some kind of telekinesis.

"_Nay. We have come here to slay you!"_ Ryoji said, aiming his sword directly at the Reaper's head. It was quite a sad sight to see, actually. Such a pitiful creature…and yet, it had the power to destroy the world.

The Reaper sent out a laugh before tilting it head sideways towards Ryoji. Its hands and feet were still bound by the chains.

"_Thou cannot slay Death incarnate. If it should be possible, I would need to take my own life…thou art truly of the Fool Arcana!"_

The Reaper, slowly tilting its head to look at all of them with its empty sockets, began to growl. It ripped off all chains holding it with a single flex of its muscles before howling into the black sky. Koromaru began barking, sending the Reaper back, startled.

"_Ah…a beast with a human soul…how interesting…It has been over fifteen-hundred years since I have fought against such an opponent…now…lend me your soul…"_

The Reaper reached out for Koromaru before withdrawing its hand; Koromaru ran backwards – not to hide – but to growl even louder at the Reaper.

"We _will_ kill you, demon…" said Minato, his arms outstretched, he was focusing all his spiritual energy into controlling Ryoji as a persona. "All members of S.E.E.S. are cleared to engage!"

Throughout the chamber, one could hear evokers being drawn. It was as if time slowed down in that instant. Minato could hear the fluttering of clothes and the clinking of metal. He could hear the triggers being pulled and the light that emerged from their heads. He could see in one instant, the collective energy of S.E.E.S. being focused on the Reaper.

Every dyne-level elemental magic was cast upon it, causing explosions to occur all across the Reaper's body. It seemed as if it was in pain, at least judging from the expression on its face.

It was at this time that Minato ordered Ryoji to immediately go up to the demon to kill it. This would be easier than they thought. All they needed now was for Ryoji to finish it off and they could all go home…

Of course, everything in their line of work was easier said than done. When Ryoji jumped in the air, wielding his massive sword, intending to stab the Reaper through the throat; the Reaper snatched Ryoji out of the air and held him in its fist.

"_Was that your opening move? Such a sad and pitiful gesture…"_

The pillar of fire in the chamber grew in intensity, before the Reaper outstretched its free hand towards it. Gripping it in its fist, the Reaper began to pull the pillar of fire from the ground, before it completely detached. The light of the world – at least the only light available to S.E.E.S. – was in the Reaper's hands along with Ryoji.

"_Now, you shall witness the power of the Espada de la Oscuridad…an honorable gift of life…very few humans have the honor of dying by this blade."_

Espada de la Oscuridad…what did it mean? What was it? Takehiro Kirijo had the answer…

"Espada de la Oscuridad…The Sword of the Darkness…should you die by its blade, your soul will be incinerated…at least you won't have to worry about going to Hell if we die tonight…I never thought it was actually real…"

"What is it?" asked Minato, staring up at the Reaper, who still wasn't making its own move.

"It was the sword crafted by Lucifer for his battle against God…the blade is made from Hellfire and the hilt is made from solidified human souls…but to think that it actually existed…"

"_It exists only here and only now, as I demand it and as others seek it…you have come here to slay me…I would love to see you try…"_

With a mighty swing of its sword, the Reaper cleaved a massive gap between the members of S.E.E.S., barely missing Minato and Yukari by a few inches. Aigis began to circle the Reaper, hoping to draw its attention away from her fellow members of S.E.E.S., firing every bullet in her albieros without reservation.

"Run! Regroup and save Ryoji-kun!" she shouted. The Reaper smiled when it was hit by the bullets.

"Aigis! No!" Minato found himself shouting, before Yukari grabbed his arm and dragged him away.

"She'll be fine! We came here to do a job and we're going to do it! You've got to keep cool!" Yukari told him. The two of them looked on as Aigis was still shooting the Reaper before Akihiko beckoned them to fall back.

"You've grown, Yukari…" Minato said as they were running to the other end of the palace chamber.

"So have you, Minato-kun…"

An explosion of epic proportions took place a few hundred meters behind them. None of them looked back. It seemed this was their destiny. To have their friends and loved ones sacrifice themselves in a ballad of fire while they ran away. The orange glow from the flames engulfed the entire chamber in light, finally allowing all of S.E.E.S. a clear field of vision around the palace.

"_God fought against Hell and lost…what makes you humans think you can defeat me?"_

They stopped running. Mostly because they were out of breath, but also because they had nowhere else to run. This was it. And they wouldn't let their last stand end with their backs turned to the enemy.

"What makes us think we can defeat you?" asked Akihiko.

"It's because we have faith in a brighter future!" shouted Yukari.

"It's because we've never given up and won't start now!" shouted Junpei.

"And it's also because I know I can kick your ass up and down the street," Shinji said darkly, turning to face the Reaper. "So come on, asshole! Let's see if you have what it takes!" Shinji shouted at the Reaper, slinging the traffic post in its general direction.

"_Lord…what fools these mortals be…I have tried to save your lives. Tried to sway you to the absolute truth, but you do not listen. Lucifer will not have your souls, I can guarantee that to you…but now, neither will you…"_

With one final roar, the Reaper threw Ryoji across the palace chamber. Ryoji crashed into the wall, creating a large impact crater, before standing up as quickly as he could to shield S.E.E.S. from this last attack.

"_I have taken the lives of many humans…none were as foolish as you…I pity your souls,"_ it said finally. The flames from its sword were burning brightly as it swung death and destruction upon them. This was the end. There was no one left to save them. No one left to fight. They would die here, alone in the Dark Hour. Alone in the Lake of Fire. Forever serving as a testament of man's futile attempts to reconcile his mortality with Hope…


	32. Welcome Home

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which is enriching the world in the cultural experience that is SMT.

**Chapter XXXI: Welcome Home**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…it is indeed a precious gift to understand the forces that guide oneself_

The Reaper smiled at them one last time before raising his mighty sword of flames in the air to crush them. Some members of S.E.E.S. were pulling the triggers of their evokers rapidly, but to no avail. Evokers only worked when their wielder was in a generally calm state of mind as they pulled the trigger. And facing Death in the face, about to have your soul shredded to pieces…well, that wasn't the most calming situation.

The sword fell down, bringing death and destruction upon them all…

PLACE: ??

TIME: ??

PURPOSE: ??

Minato and Ryoji woke up in a dark corridor…at least…they _thought_ it was a corridor. Ryoji had transformed back into his human form and was standing beside Minato in a pit of darkness. There was no wind, but for some reason, they both felt extremely cold. At least Ryoji had his scarf to keep him warm.

"Minato, what is this place?"

"I…don't know, but…"

To their right, far, far in the distance was the tiniest speck of light. It was getting closer, like it was moving to them on its own. This was unnatural – unreal. No…it couldn't be…Ryoji was confused and tried to look away from the light as it grew brighter and brighter, but Minato knew…he embraced it with open arms as it took them in its embrace. The door opened and they were Home…

"Welcome…to the Velvet Room…" an old raspy voice said when the two of them regained consciousness.

"Hello, Igor. It's been a while," Minato said, nodding his head towards the man and giving Elizabeth a great bow.

"Hm. Yes, too long. It has been just over one year since that day, and quite frankly, I don't intend to see that happen again…"

"Minato, who is this guy?" Ryoji asked, sparking a delightful look on Igor's face.

"Why, me? I am Igor…keeper of the Velvet Room! This is my assistant, Elizabeth," Elizabeth bowed to Ryoji, before allowing Igor to continue, "my guest here has some interesting friends…including _you_, Mr. Mochizuki…"

"H – how do you…"

"Oh let's not diddle-daddle over such trivial things…but I assume, Mr. Arisato, that you know why I have forced you here from your battle with the Horseman of Death?"

"Horseman of Death? You mean the Reaper?" Minato asked. He could take a guess as to why Igor wanted him here in the Velvet Room, but he would rather have it explained to him.

"Yes, you would call it that…come now, I have called you to this room today because we both know you are not fighting with your _potential_…"

"What do you mean?" he asked again. Unless Igor was there, at the battle, Minato felt slightly offended to be told that his team wasn't fighting at full capacity. "We were overwhelmed by its –"

"Oh, come on, boy! You and I both know that's bullocks! I have seen your _true_ power, as well as yours Mr. Mochizuki! You have the power to change the world, and yet you allow yourselves to be defeated by a demon such as Death!?"

"If you just summoned me and Ryoji here to insult us…"

"I am not insulting you my boy…if you can't fight to your full potential of your own free will, I feel I have no choice but to intervene…" Igor looked to the side, eyeing Elizabeth and asking her – through his body language – for her to bring _it_ out.

Elizabeth disappeared into the door behind her for a few moments, before bringing out a large pillow with a strange device on it.

"There are two devices within this machine…otherwise known as the Holy Grail…it will give you both the power of the _Ultimate Fusion_!"

"Ultimate Fusion? No, that can't possibly exist…" said Ryoji. Minato was, again, left in the dark. How come every member of S.E.E.S. knew about these types of things?

"Erm…if I may ask, what exactly _is_ the ultimate fusion?"

"I was hoping you would ask this, the last guest I had that was capable of using this device was over two-thousand years ago! Unfortunately, while he _did_ save the world…it _did_ kill him."

"Just tell me." Minato was getting impatient.

"It is the most powerful fusion spell in known existence…it requires only two component parts…" Igor tried to built dramatic effect, only getting Minato more annoyed. When he saw the look on both of their faces – Minato and Ryoji – Igor sighed and muttered something along the lines of "bloody youngsters" before getting back to his explanation.

"It requires only two component parts for the spell: a persona…and the wielder of that persona. The persona, of course, has to be of the correct Arcanum and…in sacrificing both the persona and the wielder, a persona of unimaginable strength is born."

"Strong enough to save the world?" asked Minato, garnering a strange look from Ryoji.

"Minato…what about Yukari? S.E.E.S.?"

Minato looked down at his shoes, before looking back at Ryoji, "Ryoji…if we don't do this…there'll be no one left to protect or love…and besides, I can always wait for her up in Heaven, like last ti-"

"There _is_ a catch…" said Igor, forcing Ryoji and Minato to look at him intently. "The fusion process will consume both of your souls…"

"So…our souls will be destroyed no matter which route we take? Defeat or victory, it's still a complete loss for us," Ryoji said. Minato would have none of it.

"Even so, at least we'll have the solace of knowing that our deaths go to the salvation of the world instead of offerings to Hell…"

"That is true…"

Elizabeth looked at them both before setting the pillow down on the table and walking up to Minato. They hadn't sat down and she was just a few inches shorter than he was. She could tell, because as she got closer, she leaned in and kissed Minato slightly. He didn't back down, but he didn't lean into it either. He simply accepted it, allowing Elizabeth to hug him and whisper "thank you" in his ear, before heading back to her original position and setting the Holy Grail in front of them.

"Now, do you both agree to the fusion, even though you know it will take both of your lives?" Igor asked in the most solemn voice he had ever given to a guest.

"Yes. Yes, we're ready," Minato said. He looked over at Ryoji, who was also looking back at him, and they nodded to each other.

"Very well…please, place your hands on the designated areas and repeat after me…"

_I am a Son of God_

_Born unto this world through the Power of Light_

_I am a Son of Evil_

_Taken from my throne to fight_

_I am a Son of Man_

_Capable of pushing fate to the side_

_I am I_

_Spirits rising, earth shaken_

_Take unto the universe this spirit and this man_

_May God once again manifest himself upon the world_

_May the Lightning-Struck Tower be defeated_

_In the name of Righteousness_

_In the name of Truth, Justice, and Mercy_

_In the name of Knowledge, Love, and Wisdom_

_Manifest yourself_

_Take these souls and bring about_

_The Salvation of the World_

The fusion would be painless, Igor had said. In the blink of an eye, their souls would disappear from the universe and they would become like a God, capable of making another self-sacrifice for the salvation of the world…

Their cards were laid out and began to rotate around each other in the air. It seemed like they were levitating forever, slowly becoming one with each successful revolution.

Then, something went wrong. Something went horribly wrong. Not so much as to harm Minato or Ryoji as to heat up the Holy Grail to the point where it began to melt. Ryoji and Minato – who had been knocked unconscious after their incantation – were awakened to extreme spirit impulses throughout their bodies.

"W – what's going on!?" shouted Minato. The power flowing through his body didn't hurt him but…it felt strange.

"I don't know…there must be some kind of anomaly! Damn! Elizabeth, is there any way to reverse the reaction!?"

"Not that I know of! Minato, hang on!"

"Hey, what about me!" shouted Ryoji. Both of them were beginning to attract spirit particles from the Velvet Room into their bodies, alarming both Igor and Elizabeth.

"Damn it, it's too dangerous to keep you in the Velvet Room! We'll have to send you back!"

"Igor, no!" Elizabeth shouted before Igor raised his hands towards the ceiling of the Velvet Room and both Ryoji and Minato were thrust out of the door from whence they came. Descending back to Earth, the two of them had just enough time before they descending back to the Lake of Fire to notice that their movements were highly exaggerated. But of course, when the 

Horseman of Death is upon you, you do not think upon these things. And as the Espada de la Oscuridad fell upon S.E.E.S. to mark their doom, another sword met it through the haze of the night. The flames from the Sword of the Darkness were just enough to illuminate the wielder's face and singe the black crown atop its head…


	33. Masters of Salvation

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which _should_ have the cast of P3 in the next Super Smash game.

**Chapter XXXII: Masters of Salvation**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…there is both joy and wonder in coming to understand another_

Flame met steel, flesh met flesh, and their black eyes looked deep into each other.

"_Hm?"_

"_Hello…brother!"_

"_Oh, it's been too long…too…_long!_"_

"_Too long indeed…"_

The two beasts separated and in the light of the Espada de la Oscuridad, one could see the Reaper wielding its mighty sword. The epic light from the sword reflected itself in another great sword. Shining against the black metal, dark as the night, was a figure clad in black armor, wrapped in a black cloak, and wearing a black crown. Its skin was shining silver against the flames. The Bringer of Death faced its sister: the being that had laid dormant for over a year, the Harbinger of Death - Nyx.

Time had slowed and S.E.E.S.'s movements were exaggerated – with the exception of Minato, of course. He could perceive time perfectly, and as he looked around, seeing his friends' terrified faces, he knew this was no longer _their_ battle. This was his battle and his alone…

The Reaper and Nyx, however, did not seem to think so, and their swords clashed again with terrifying noise and accuracy. Flames hurled in the air passed Nyx's left cheek, but this did not sway her. For a being of the Death Arcanum, there _was_ no death. The only possible way to kill a being of the Death Arcanum was to force it to die by its own hand. One could seal away a being of Death – but that would only be a temporary solution…a reprieve from extinction at the hands of an awakening God…

"_Why? Why is a being of Death fighting for the life of the world!? Tell me that!"_ The Reaper forcefully 'asked' through its telekinesis to Nyx. It was true. Nyx's sole purpose was to bring about the Apocalypse. Why was she fighting for hope and future?

"_I have broken the surly bonds of Fate…I now control my own fate as these mortals do, and I taste the sweet scent of sovereignty on my tongue…"_

"_Hardly the answer to expect from a God of Death!"_ The Reaper said while bringing its sword to a full swing against Nyx. Nyx managed to block the blow with its own sword – wielding it in merely a single hand – before trying to use its free hand to take a jab at the Reaper. It didn't work and the Bringer of Death jumped back a few hundred meters, recomposing itself into a new battle stance.

The two demons looked at each other again, their gazes locked against the other's black, infinite eyes.

"_Shall we go again?"_ Nyx asked, raising its sword in a defensive posture.

"_Let's!"_

The Reaper charged at Nyx with all its might, using one of its hands to take jabs at Nyx while using the other hand to stabilize itself through its violent thrusts. Nyx responded in kind, angling its massive blade (which dwarfed Thanatos's earlier sword) to block each blow. The Reaper almost got a hit in on Nyx, putting pressure on the sword and coming up closer to Nyx's face.

"_This is fun, is it not?"_

"_Oh, but of course…it is our very nature…Death…"_

"_I'm going to enjoy killing you. I'm going to enjoy killing those mortals…and I am going to enjoy destroying this realm!"_

"_You will do no such thing!"_

The Reaper was so close to Nyx's face that the two of them could feel each others hot breath. The two of them were so alike in so many ways…but despite that, Nyx had been tamed over the course of a year in the Heavens. Could the same be said of the Reaper?

At least, not now. Now while the Reaper was concentrating all of its energy into murdering them all.

Minato watched the fight from afar. In the time that Nyx and the Reaper had been fighting, he had stolen Yukari's evoker from her and was currently pointing it at his head. A single pull of the trigger could exponentially help Nyx…Ryoji, kill the Reaper. Or it could just get in the way and allow the Reaper to win…

Never one to err on the side of caution, Minato pulled the trigger. Fortunately (or unfortunately, Minato didn't know which) for some reason, _two_ personae were ejected from his soul simultaneously: Orpheus of the Fool Arcanum and the Messiah of the Judgment Arcanum.

"W – what's going on-"

"_I am Orpheus. Master of Strings."_

"_And I am the Messiah. Master of Salvation."_

The two personae had extremely deep voices, however, the main difference between them was that Orpheus's voice sounded metallic, while the Messiah's voice sounded…gentle. A pillar of hope in a sea of despair and chaos. They began speaking simultaneously, forcing upon Minato's ears one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard.

"_From the sea of thy soul we come forth…we exist to serve. We exist…to fight."_

"_Hm?"_ Minato could hear the Reaper broadcast into his mind. _"What's this? This should be interesting…"_

"_Minato…"_ he could hear Nyx saying, before the Reaper disappeared. At first it appeared as if the palace chamber was empty, even the light emitting from the Espada de la Oscuridad had faded into the darkness. But that was not the case for long when Minato and Nyx noticed a large shadow appearing from one of the many large windows.

"What the –" was all Minato could say before the shadow grew even larger…but that was impossible. The only way a shadow could grow was…

Tim was restored back to normal just then and there and Minato was lucky that Nyx had the courage to take him in her hands and protect him from the blast. A shadow had attacked them. It was massive. More massive than anything S.E.E.S. had ever fought before. It's reddish-yellow eyes gleamed at them through the darkness of the night.

The other members of S.E.E.S., having been seized back to reality, looked around frantically until they saw Nyx. The flames that had engulfed Aigis earlier had been extinguished, and the only light making its way into the chamber was the eerie glow of the moon above.

"Is it…on our side?" Yukari asked. Chidori, Fuuka, and Mitsuru were all still huddled together on the other side of the palace chamber, never losing concentration for their task. Yukari couldn't help but feel extreme ride and admiration for them.

"_The Valley of Kings has been desecrated…and who do I find as the culprit!?" _the shadow said. Even more surprising than what the shadow said was the fact that it could even talk. _"Nyx…you have betrayed us!"_

"_I have found the purpose of life outside the Valley of the Dead, Ninurta!"_

"_There _is_ no purpose of life outside Hell. It is where all beings eventually reside…why do you fight it!?"_ a slight smile crept up on the creature's 'mouth'. The humans in the room were positively perplexed, but the two demons knew this battle all too well. Nyx was the mother of all demons and as such, she had a responsibility to oversee the general well-being of all unholy beings across the universe. When Nyx turned violent against one demon, the natural balance of Good and Evil in the universe is interrupted and must be restored…with force if necessary.

"_You know as well as I do that Beelzebub has done no wrong in his existence…"_

"_Quite on the contrary. Beelzebub exists solely to guide souls to Hell, not to destroy the human realm!"_

"_Which was your responsibility in accordance to the books! But once you shirked your responsibilities…no…now we _all_ have a stake in this...tell me, sister. Do you plan on fighting every demon in the universe?"_

Minato could physically feel Nyx cringe, but soon felt the slight vibration of Nyx's vocal chords.

"_If necessary to preserve the neutrality of mankind…then yes. I shall. And I shall use my authority over the demons to do so!"_

"_You have no authority in the Valley of Kings anymore! That right was stripped from you the day you began to prowl the Heavens!"_

The shadow began to use its many slimy hands to descend the walls of the palace chamber, before ending up on the palace floor, directly facing Nyx and Minato.

"_Where is he, Ninurta? Where is Beelzebub!?"_

"_Can you _really_ kill a demon!? Can you!? You'll have to kill me before I tell you…and I have to warn you sister…being a Demon of War…I'm _very_ good at this…"_ The shadow said before morphing into a human form: a man with long, wavy brown hair, brown skin, and brown eyes. His clothing was made of mankind's weaponry and he wore what appeared to be an oversized human skull on the top of his head.

"_So…can you kill me, sister? Can you kill me to find Beelzebub and save your precious realm!? Can you!?"_

And just as Ninurta drew a bow from his back, aiming it directly between Nyx's eyes, everyone in the chamber could sense space and time distort around them, before two vaguely familiar voices both shouted "Wait!"


	34. Shadow of Death

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus insert cryptic metaphor

**Chapter XXXIII: Shadow of Death**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…one of life's greatest blessings is the freedom to pursue one's goals_

"Wait!"

Everyone in the chamber, even the demon Ninurta, turned around to look at who it was that was yelling (and also tearing a hole in the dimension). From the black hole that was a dimensional rift came two figures: one was a rather short, round man and the other was a taller, more slender woman. While S.E.E.S. and Ninurta were clueless as to who they were, Nyx and Minato instantly looked at each other again.

"If the human realm is destroyed, you demons will do much more harm to this universe than you think…" the man said, afterwards putting his hands together as if to recite an incantation.

"_Oh really? Tell me…you are not of this realm at all if you are able to use that type of teleportation spell…why do you care for this realm?"_

It was the woman who spoke up this time, "because if the human realm is destroyed, the natural balance of this universe will tip magnificently to the side of Evil and Chaos…and should that happen…"

"_The knowledge of God and his powers will be lost forever and Lucifer will reign over a new universe! How can you _not_ like this plan!?"_

Nyx looked at Ninurta, occasionally looking back on the two visitors. Although they were both demons, Nyx had found the Answer…it was a shame that such an unholy balance needed to be kept…

"You do not understand the workings of this universe at all, do you demon? Once the balance between Good and Evil and of Order and Chaos is disrupted…there is no going back to the way things were. This _entire universe_ will be instantly destroyed!"

"_Only to be replaced by a universe of spectacular proportions! Do not lecture me, I know how this universe works, and it is not my intention – nor the intention of any demon in the Valley of Kings – to preserve the "natural order" of this world! Now, with your deaths will come a new beginning!"_

Instantly Minato was thrown in the air as Nyx shifted to do battle with Ninurta. He was saved by a garudyne burst from Elizabeth, who caught him in her arms as if a lover would, prompting an intense glare from Yukari.

"Thanks Elizab-" his words were interrupted by an extremely loud crashing sound. When they all looked around, they found that it had been Ninurta who was smashed into a wall by Nyx's blade.

"_Not too bad, sister…but so long as you keep sparing my life, this world will soon end!"_

"_Where is the Reaper!? Where is he!?"_

"_He is preparing this realm for its final destination: its utter destruction. Should you kill me, I will tell you where he is…that is…_if_ you can kill me!"_

Ninurta broke free from the wall and ditched his bow and arrows, pulling another weapon from his cloak of human weaponry. This time it was two pistols. Ninurta wielded them in both hands, taking careful aim at Nyx's head.

"_Sister…let me tell you something. I have witnessed many wars in my lifetime. My cloak is filled with the weapons mankind has used to murder itself over the centuries. Indeed, my cloak also contains the future weapons mankind will use to slaughter himself…there is no righteousness in your cause. No balance of Good and Evil…mankind is evil incarnate. Us demons are simply here to guide them in a controlled destruction…Mankind is the real Evil of this universe…"_

"_And it is also the greatest Good in this universe…you have not seen what I have seen, Ninurta!"_

"_That is because I have seen enough! If you truly want to help mankind, you will stop this nonsense at once and help in its total annihilation…only then can human suffering end, and with it, a new world will begin…"_

"_Hm? Compassion from a demon? Impossible…"_

Ninurta then smiled at Nyx, pulling the triggers of the two guns as fast as he could. _"Of course true compassion is impossible, but if compassion is what is needed to destroy this pathetic realm, then so be it!"_

Each bullet hit Nyx with full force, piercing straight through its body, but it did not move.

"_And, do you think I would not be a suitable Demon of Death if I could not control my own fate!? Ninurta, I don't wish for your death…"_

More bullets began to hit Nyx from gradually larger caliber weaponry, as Ninurta was cycling through the weapons of mankind fairly quickly. It was actually a pitiful sight to see: the smile of Ninurta's face thinking that victory was near, the bullets hitting Nyx but causing no bodily harm, 

the disinterested expression of Nyx as it took its first step towards Ninurta – who jumped from Nyx instantly…

"_I will say this one more time Ninurta…I do not wish you any bodily harm…"_

"_Then I will kill _them!" Ninurta shouted, pulling a railgun from his cloak and aiming it at S.E.E.S., most of which were beginning to take cover, as per their training. _"Can you sacrifice them for your high-ended ideal-"_

Ninurta didn't even have time to finish the word "ideals". In fact, he didn't even have time to look at Nyx before he was thrown once again into the wall, Nyx's blade fully drawn and aimed towards him.

"_That's it, Nyx…this is the power I was-"_

Nyx had decided that, instead of walking over to Ninurta, she might as well just teleport over to his body. Appearing directly over Ninurta's head, the demon looked up with just enough time to see Nyx grab him by the throat and throw him to the other side of the room again. Ninurta left another impact crater on the walls of the palace.

"_More…hurt me_ more_! Kill me, Nyx! Show me you still have your demon blood!"_

Again Nyx teleported over to Ninurta and picked him up by the throat, but instead of throwing him across the room, she held him in her clutch…

"_And tell me…how would killing you help me defeat the Reaper without you telling me, first? How would killing you regain my place of honor in the Valley of the Kings?"_

Nyx's grip did not relent and Ninurta was left hanging in the air, trying as best as he could to force Nyx's hand off of his throat, but to no avail.

"_Tell me, Ninurta...where is the Reaper? Tell me this and how many have revolted against my authority, and I shall take your life…"_

"_I shall hold you to that, sister…the Reaper…is…on top of a large human structure…very large…larger than anything else in this city…it is where this realm meets the next"_

"_And the revolt against my authority?"_

"_It…is just me, sister…the other demons of the world…still…regard you…as their…leader…I was…merely carrying…out…Lucifer's…dreams…"_

Nyx released Ninurta by throwing him in the air, before impaling him through the heart with her sword. S.E.E.S., Igor, and Elizabeth watched the gruesome bloodbath, as Nyx tore Ninurta's body from the sword and forced it on the ground. Staring at his body for a long time with its 

sword raised, Nyx finally stabbed Ninurta while he was on the floor, sending the demon reeling in pain, before finally disappearing into the night as several thousand black particles.

The moonlight from the yellow moon of the Dark Hour returned, and so did the wind, blowing Nyx's black cloak slightly as it looked up to the sky.

From a pile of rubble across the palace chamber, a being rustled out of the crevices. It was Aigis, badly damaged but still alive. Apparently, Metis was made out of heat-resistant metals and the piece that Aigis had welded to herself had protected the very sensitive circuits in her neck…This was the second time Metis had saved Aigis's life. She wouldn't be wasting it anytime soon.

Through the yellow moonlight, Koromaru howled at the moon, arching his back to symbolize victory and sorrow…

The largest building in Tokyo. A place where the human realm connected with the next one…surprisingly, Igor held the answer…


	35. The New Tartarus

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which just announced Persona 4: it's coming out in North America on December 9, 2008. Pre-order it now, people!

**Chapter XXXIV: The New Tartarus**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…to find the one true path, one must seek guidance amidst uncertainty_

"The place where this realm meets the next…it must be…there must be an energy flow from the Dark Hour reaching down to Earth…" Igor said, sitting down, his old legs nearly failing him.

"An…energy flow?" Aigis asked. She had walked up to Igor and Elizabeth soon after the battle with Ninurta had ended.

"Yes…a flow of spiritual energy…all beings in this universe have nascent energy flows. Beings in this realm see spiritual energy as red blood, so-"

"Wait! So _blood_ is the medium for spiritual energy transfer!?" shouted Junpei, getting sick to his stomach. He didn't want to have to go through another place filled with as much blood as Tartarus.

"In this dimension…yes. How do you think you all survive? How children are born? You think its because of what your science tells you!? No…I'm afraid all of mankind's science is essentially wrong – without spiritual energy, nothing can function. Just like any other type of energy, it needs a medium to be transported and given to beings with mass…blood is its medium."

Elizabeth spoke up before any other members of S.E.E.S. could, "I know that our appearance and these recent revelations have not convinced you of our trustworthiness...however," she looked to the side, glancing towards Minato, before continuing, "please believe us. You saw for yourselves the bloody state of Tartarus. Its energy flows in the lower levels were extremely inefficient, and _that's_ why you saw blood everywhere. It is similar with the Dark Hour – there is an overabundance of spiritual energy within the Dark Hour and the only way for it to contain itself in this dimension is…"

"Quite enough talk…" said Takehiro Kirijo, walking from the shadows and lighting a cigarette. The faint glow illuminated his eye patch and made him look even more intimidating than he was. "All S.E.E.S. has to look for is a large area of blood, right?"

"Yes, well…" Igor shifted on the floor before pointing up at the yellow moon above them. Some clouds were crossing the moon at the moment, creating a faint red glow on the ground below. Blood was everywhere in the Dark Hour. Where would they start?

"You said that the Reaper is certainly at a place where the blood stretches from this realm to the next? What would that mean?" Junpei asked, clutching his chin.

"But Ninurta also said that the energy flow was atop the largest human structure in this city…"

"I know!" Aigis shouted. Koromaru was barking loudly as well. "Tokyo Tower! I had an unobstructed view of the city when I was up there…and…a river of blood was flowing from the top of the tower as well." Aigis called forth her persona, Athena, and used her to blast a hole in one of the walls of the palace chamber. Through the dark of the night, they could all clearly see the orange and white steel frame of Tokyo Tower. A river of blood was pouring down from the Heavens to its peak, and near the top, somewhere near the second observation deck, was a large black being. Although it was a few kilometers away from the Bay, they could see everything clearly

"Well…" Igor coughed. Even _he_ had not been prepared to see this sight: a massive tower, covered in blood, with an equally massive shadow/demon at its peak. "Would you like to take the long way and walk over there…or…would your demon friend here like to offer his teleportation services?"

They all turned to Nyx, who was still staring at the tower. Somehow, somewhere deep within its heart, the sight of Tokyo Tower brought up vaguely nostalgic memories. By the time he noticed everyone was watching him, Minato was kicking him in the foot, yelling at him.

"C'mon! Snap out of it damn it!"

"_What is it that you want, Minato?"_ Nyx said as it looked down on them.

"Your services as the Harbinger of Death, by boy!" shouted Igor. He walked over to Nyx with the help of Elizabeth, who supported him on her shoulder. "Specifically your ability to residual spirit transportation – what these humans refer to as 'teleportation'".

"_I see…it should not be difficult…I shall need all of you to remain physically attached to me during the procedure…I gather we are to take our support team as well?"_

The team glanced over at Chidori, Fuuka, and Mitsuru. All were still holding hands, huddled around each other and concentrating as hard as they could. Not wanting to risk the Reaper getting confined in the Rings of Life again and having no way to remove them, Takehiro proposed that a strong, able bodied member of the team get behind each girl and lift them over to Nyx. Junpei and Akihiko happily agreed to help lift Mitsuru and Chidori, but when Minato volunteered his services to help Fuuka out, Yukari pulled him aside and waved a finger in his face, before flat-out threatening to kill him if he went over there. Shinji went over in his stead, grumbling and whining but enjoying the experience nevertheless as any other man would.

When the three of them carefully deposited the girls on Nyx's body, there was one final check to see if everyone was truly onboard. Soon, with a bright flash of light and a sound like cracking thunder, the S.E.E.S. team was gone.

TOKYO TOWER

Nyx arrived at Tokyo Tower's base. From their angle, S.E.E.S. could clearly see the Reaper hovering over the second observation deck, almost as if it was waiting for them…

"It could be a trap…" Akihiko said.

"Or it could be waiting for us to kick it's ass!" Shinji shouted, directing his voice up at the sky towards the Reaper, "yeah, you heard me! You've pissed me off for far too long tonight and we're gonna' kill you!"

"_No…it is waiting for us to do battle with it. This day shall not end until either the Reaper or ourselves are dead…"_

"No…" said Igor, he was gripping Elizabeth tighter than usual, causing her to flinch in pain as he stood up. "You two are Masters of Shadows…you two both have the same powers. Only you and the Reaper may control shadows at will…and only the two of you directly control your own fate, that is, you can only die when you _want_ to die…so you see, the Reaper acknowledges this, and he will not accept it…"

"_My brother always was the power-monger…_"

"That is because he _has_ power…his vice grip on humankind has even influenced its culture and its language…you killed a Demon of War, but can you kill a Demon of Death, such as yourself? Even to liberate mankind?" Igor was looking Nyx straight in its black eyes, searching for something there. Nyx simply wielding its sword and thrust it towards the sky.

"He_ gave me something to fight for…something to believe in," _Nyx glanced at Minato, Yukari was still gripping his arm. "_And I won't just fade back into the night…this ends here. This ends now. We'll save Mankind and start from zero…maybe then future generations will have a chance at truly choosing their destiny…"_

The S.E.E.S. team looked up in awe at Nyx, who slowly began to ascend into the air, before he levitated out of reach, however, he beckoned Minato to join him. Yukari, however, tightened her grip on him.

"Minato, don't! I…have a bad feeling about this," she whispered into his ear, hugging him close to her and trying to prevent him from ascending to battle the Reaper.

"Don't worry…I'll make it back here. I promise…then we'll spend a whole week at that theme park you wanted to go to a few years back, remember?" Minato said through a grin, cocking his head to one side.

"Really, now? Well then…I'll hold you to that when you get back here, then…" she said, taking one last look into his eyes before she let him go. He held her shoulders for just a second, before he turned around and headed towards Nyx's outstretched hand.

"Okay Nyx…Ryoji…let's do this!"

"_At once!"_

And with that, Nyx exploded into the sky to stare the Reaper in the eye for this final battle in Earth's final hour…


	36. The Lost, Part III

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus, which you should support by buying their products!

**Chapter XXXV: The Lost (Part III)**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…it requires great courage to look at oneself honestly, and forge one's own path_

"Really, now? Well then…I'll hold you to that when you get back here, then…" Yukari said, looking into Minato's eyes one last time before he would leave. He held her shoulders and looked back into hers, before turning around to ride Nyx to his final battle.

"Hey, Minato-kun! Catch!" Yukari threw her evoker up in the air so Minato had to jump to catch it. He looked at it before turning back to her.

"Yukari, I…"

"Just take it, you'll need it if you want to come back here alive! And you better!" she shouted, putting a smile back on her face before nodding at him.

"Thanks!" Minato said in return, looking towards Nyx again. "Okay Nyx…Ryoji…let's do this!"

"_At once!"_

Minato jumped on Nyx's hand before Nyx exploded into the night sky to face the Reaper…

"So…you think he'll be okay?" Junpei asked Yukari as he walked up to her. Both of them had their eyes trained on the sky, towards the yellow moon that had cost them so much sorrow.

"He'll be fine…Hey, Junpei?"

Junpei took his eyes off from the sky for a moment to look at Yukari, "Yeah?"

"Did Minato seriously ask you to take care of me while he was, you know, gone?" She took her eyes off the sky too, but didn't bring them back down to face Junpei, instead focusing on the Reaper, floating a few hundred meters above their heads.

"Yeah, but that's not why I did what I did," he said, blushing.

"Really now? Now what would that reason be?" she asked, grinning like a schoolgirl.

"It's kind of embarrassing so…promise not to tell anyone, okay?" Yukari merely nodded her head, still training her eyes on the demon. Nyx had appeared in front of the Reaper now.

"You, Minato…everyone in S.E.E.S., you guys are like family to me…hell, compared to my dad, you guys _are_ my family…I, oh forget it!" he said, kicking the pavement with his foot but regretting it soon afterwards. This was where Yukari finally broke her eyes from the sky to look at Junpei.

"Come on, what is it? You know I'll pester you until you tell me!"

Junpei sighed. It was true. He knew all too well from his junior and senior years that Yukari would go to any lengths to find out what she wanted to hear.

"_Fine_…it's…man, this sounds so girly…but I care about everyone here because you guys are practically my family now…I just don't want to see anybody else in S.E.E.S. get hurt, you know?"

Yukari nodded and was about to say something before the two of them heard footsteps behind them and a voice speaking out, "You're right, Junpei, that _does_ sound girly," the voice said. Both of them turned around to see a grinning Shinjiro and Akihiko with Aigis in between them. She carried Koromaru, who was wagging his tail happily while licking Aigis's hands a little.

"Hey! How long have you-"

Akihiko cut Junpei off before he could finish, "long enough to know that we aren't alone in thinking of S.E.E.S. as a family more than an organization…" Akihiko said this quietly before turning his head to the sky, towards Nyx and the Reaper. "Now one of our own is in danger and we can't do anything about it…"

"That's not true!" Yukari said forcefully, curling her hands into fists by her side before turning back to look at the sky. "If we don't believe in him, who will? If we can't support him, who will? Let's give him hope to beat the Reaper and not give up!"

TOKYO TOWER

SECONDARY OBSERVATION DECK

"_So, have you come to witness the End of the World?"_ the Reaper said through its mouth this time. Somehow it managed to pull the steel cables that had acted as stitches from its mouth.

"_No brother. I have come to bear witness to your destruction!"_

"_Is that so? Well now, you're certainly welcome to try. Although I do not know why you would want to attempt such a futile action…"_ the Reaper clapped its hands together, pulling them apart to revel a large metal pole emerging from its palms. It wouldn't have looked intimidating, with the exception that shortly after the entire length of the pole was released, a massive saber emerged from its side.

"_Ah! So, I am guessing that that weapon you're holding is the Legendary Scythe of the Reaper?"_

"_More than that, my dear Harbinger…it is the Scythe of Souls…"_ the Reaper was grinning widely, again giving the same smile to Minato that Nyx had given him one year prior.

"_Minato, are you ready?"_ Nyx asked him, preparing a battle stance and gripping its sword as tight as it could with just one hand. Minato wasn't prepared for what would happen after he said "yes" – Nyx had thrown him in the air several hundred feet and had assaulted the Reaper with its sword. The Reaper, in turn, defended by using his scythe to cut upwards towards Nyx. Had it not been for Nyx's strength, the Reaper might've gotten a shot at Nyx's head.

From Minato's point of view, the battle between the two Demons of Death _would_ have been nice to watch were it not for the fact that he was now falling to earth with no way of saving himself. There was _one_ way, however. It is what every persona-user would do in such a situation: bring an evoker to one's head and pull the trigger. Instantly, from the sea of his soul came Orpheus and the Messiah. The Messiah fluttered his wings a little to fall to Minato's level before wrapping its arms around him and saving him from falling onto the tower. Orpheus simply sat back and watched before making a landing on the second observation deck.

"_You have called us forth?"_ the Messiah asked as he descended to put Minato on the second observation deck safely. Minato was about to answer that question before a large smashing sound told him that Nyx and the Reaper were waging their battle dangerously close to him. Even worse, the Reaper was resisting Nyx and was beginning to push him into the tower.

"Yeah, I have called you two forth. Is there any way you two can distract the Reaper to help Nyx out in any way?"

"_It shall be done…"_ the two personae said simultaneously. The two of them rose into the sky, aiming their hands at the Reaper, thus allowing a red glow to engulf Orpheus and a similar blue glow to engulf the Messiah.

_Spirits of Fire, Ice, Wind, and Thunder_

_Spirits of the Night and of the Light_

_Unite under this dark moon_

_And make your presence known to this flight_

_Demons, Gods, and Mortals_

_Unite under the banner of battle_

_Now is the time to strike…_

_Unify our souls_

_And step back into the night!_

Minato could see the energy of his personae begin to collect in their palms. Orpheus' fire and the Messiah's light began to slowly fuse until Minato could no longer tell the difference between the two energies. Nyx and the Reaper separated for a brief second before resuming their battle, and just as their blades hit each other, the massive burst of energy lit up the entire Dark Hour with its light to hit the Reaper in its head, knocking it off balance and blinding it to allow Nyx to punch the Reaper away from it.

Using the distance it had gained after the punch and taking advantage of the Reaper's temporary blindness, Nyx took his mighty sword and swung it upon the Reaper, slicing the Reaper in his left arm just above the elbow. For a moment, it appeared as if nothing had happened, before blood began to gush from the arm and it began to slide off of the Reaper's body.

"_You…you…"_ the Reaper was trying to speak, but couldn't get the words out in time as it began to cry out in pain as the severed arm fully fell from his body, exploding into thousands of black particles into the night.

Hollers and shouts could be heard from the S.E.E.S. spectators below, and Nyx turned around to face Minato as if to thank him for the support. The Reaper continued to grasp his bloody lump of a left arm, screaming into the darkness, before disappearing…

"D – did…did we do it? Did we kill it?" Minato asked Nyx, who was busy scanning the skyline for the Reaper.

Nothing.

"_I think so…the Dark Hour should disappear soon if we _have_ defeated-"_

From seemingly nowhere, everyone could hear the Reaper's voice once again. It was raspy and cold…

"_You…you…you're so…"_ there was a pause, before they began to hear the Reaper chuckling, before going into full blown laughter. "_You're so…_gullible!"

It was around this time that S.E.E.S. felt an intense spiritual pressure coming from above them. In the same manner from that fateful battle one year ago, a single drop of blood fell from the sky to fall upon Aigis's cheek, prompting her and Koromaru to look up. They really shouldn't have.

It was just like when the Dark Hour first reappeared. The clouds were drenched in blood and began to drizzle the thick, red liquid all over the city, before Tokyo was literally covered in a deluge of blood.

Time and space distorted around Nyx, before the Reaper slowly began to emerge, his left arm still missing, but a wide smile across his face. Once cleared of the miniature black hole he had created, the Reaper threw his scythe up into the air before moving his right arm slowly across his wounded left arm, initiating a process that began to rematerialize his damaged arm from the fires of Hell itself. The black particles began to coalesce to form the shape of its missing left arm before it completely rematerialized. The scythe landed perfectly in its newly reformed hand.

Minato gawked in awe while Nyx brought its sword towards the Reaper once again.

"_Surprised? I've told you…it's impossible to defeat me!"_

Nyx looked at Minato for a moment, as if to convey a message of desperation, before turning back to converse with the Reaper.

"_I am not surprised. Beings such as ourselves controlling our fates…it is not a new phenomenon to the world. What_ is_ new, however, is the fact that you are not controlling other shadows…but controlling yourself…"_ Nyx said, looking around Tokyo for a greater understanding of the situation. _"I see you haven't used the transmogrified humans' souls for your own advantages yet? Is there…something I'm missing?"_

The Reaper seemed taken aback, slowly backing away from Nyx before bringing his own scythe against Nyx, the two of them staring down the other's blade.

"_But of course…The Fates have not been kind to a demon that rebels against the natural order of the universe."_ Nyx seemed to smile, looking up at the sky and spreading its wings.

"_Who are you to talk about The Fates!? You are one of the Demons of Death, and yet you work to save mankind instead of bringing about its destruction!"_ the Reaper said angrily. From his vantage point, Minato could see inside the Reaper mouth. It lacked teeth and in their place were simple black, bloody stumps.

"_On the contrary, my dear brother. You see, The Fates had originally intended for our Five Brethren to be the various incarnations of Death. However, they did not foresee the cleverness and resilience of Humanity…"_

"_What are you talking about!?" _the Reaper shouted. Its mouth began to leak blood now, leaving two small tracks of blood across its chin.

"_When my spirit was sealed within that boy you see over there," _Nyx pointed to Minato, pausing slightly and putting on a slight smile, _"I was given the chance to experience Humanity. I was given emotion, wisdom, and most importantly, free will. The Fates have since recognized this, and I am no longer a mere Harbinger to the End of the World…"_

"_That's impossible! The incident one year ago…I felt your spiritual presence! I sensed the Fall was nigh!" _

"_No…why do you think that that mortal was able to seal the Bringer of Death? No…The Fates have much more in store for this boy and I than you think, brother…but you…you, a Demon of Death, who has not tasted the freedom of being Human…you seek to defy the Fates on your own twisted version of free will! No…they have no allowed it, and I believe you yourself are feeling the effects of defying the Fates…"_

The Reaper was slowly panting throughout this monologue, before its breathing grew steadily faster.

"_A Demon of Death gains its power by manipulating the Shadows around it…now brother…Now that you have lost your power and authority in the Valley of Kings…now that _

_Ninurta has also died in your failed rebellion…what authority do you have that actually matters to the Fates? What power do you possess that I cannot surpass…"_

The Reaper was on its knees now, panting heavily and so weak that it could not hold its scythe properly. Though still levitating in the air, he realized that the Fates were more cunning than he had intended…maybe this is what God felt in his doomed battle against Lucifer?

"_Now, Minato…deal the final blow! End this tragic cycle of the Arcanum once and for all!"_ Nyx shouted, throwing his sword in the air and directing his wings and arms towards the moon, before a flash of red and white light lit up the night sky…


	37. The Fates

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus and…it's almost the end of the story. Stay tuned.

**Chapter XXXVI: The Fates**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…alongside time exists fate, the bearer of cruelty_

Orpheus and the Messiah were fusing their powers for the final attack on the Reaper. And attack of this power and nature would ensure the Reaper's defeat…at least, that was what Nyx hoped to believe, now that he was sure the Fates were on his side. The combined powers of the two personae sent a blast of energy hurling towards the Reaper, who had been weakened by "The Fates". In less than a second, the Reaper was hit by the energy beam emitted from the two personae and was sent to fall ungracefully down towards the ground, where the rest of S.E.E.S. was waiting.

Not having enough time to react, the Reaper slammed into the pavement below with enough force to leave an impact crater and send several cracks emanating from it. It was not clear if the Reaper was truly dead, as the force of the crash had kicked up too much dust and debris for S.E.E.S. to immediately tell. What _could_ be known, however, was that the various members of S.E.E.S., with the notable exception of the three psychics, had surrounded the impact crater and had drawn their evokers and brought them to their heads. If the Reaper _was_ alive, it would be decimated by the combined firepower of dyne level attacks of every element, on all sides.

The dust began to settle after several minutes, and through the faint haze of the debris, S.E.E.S. could finally see the Reaper in its true form…

It was Akihiko who saw through the smoke first, ready to pull the trigger of his evoker and send the Reaper back to Hell once and for all, before Mitsuru called out to him.

"_Akihiko! No! Don't do it!"_ she shouted through the haze. Akihiko looked around to find her…she _was_ over by the base of Tokyo Tower, huddled together with Fuuka and Chidori…but now they were all gone. What was the meaning of this!

"Hey, what's going…" he tried to ask, before Mitsuru came out from the haze clothed in nothing but the swimsuit she had worn to Yakushima so long ago.

"_Akihiko…you don't have to fight any longer…it's over…your fight is over, and it's only us now…"_ she said, coming close enough to Akihiko that he tingled when her hair touched him. _"What's wrong, Aki? You don't…like me?"_ she said, coming even closer to Akihiko, putting her arms on his chest.

"No, it's not that! It's…it's…"

Junpei's eyes adjusted next. He was staring deep into the smoke and was bearing his teeth in a mean expression on his face when Chidori walked out from the haze to look him directly in his eyes.

"_Junpei, why are you so angry? It's over…we won…"_ Chidori said with a hushed voice as she collapsed to the ground, visibly weak and pale. Junpei ran over to her side without even thinking, in the process dropping his evoker on the ground.

"Chidori! Chidori, what's wrong!" Junpei looked over his shoulder to the spot where Chidori and the other girls were supposed to be, but it was empty. This _had_ to be Chidori. Chidori was in pain, and Junpei only knew one thing to do. Help.

"_Junpei, I…I feel weak…can I have your jacket?"_

"Of course!" he shouted, instantly taking off his jacket and wrapping it around Chidori, her body was getting colder by the second as Junpei held her in his arms.

"_I guess…holding the Reaper off took too much of my life energy after all…huh? Why do you look so sad, Junpei…you act as if…"_

"Chidori…but…why? What's…what's going on…why…" Junpei asked himself as he embraced Chidori even tighter. Her dying breathe was warm and tickled his ears…

Aigis's cameras adjusted fairly easily to the smoke, and although she was ready to draw her persona out to fight the Reaper in his final form, she was surprised when Minato emerged from the smoke, the Messiah and Orpheus by his side.

"_Hello Aigis…it's been a while since we last talked, hasn't it?"_

"Minato!" Aigis shouted, grasping her mouth and pointing at a patch of blood just below Minato's left elbow.

"_Oh…this? It's nothing. Nothing but an old war wound now. Heh. Say…do you remember that day when I collapsed on the floor at Hagekure?"_

Aigis ran up to Minato and ripped off a piece of his sleeve so that she could begin to treat the wound, but she still talked to him while she was addressing his wounds.

"Yes…I remember…it was the day you died."

"_Death can't be escaped…but it can be beaten…I wonder if that's why I failed?"_

"Failed what, Minato?" Aigis asked as she tightened the make-shift tourniquet on his arm.

"_Failed _you_, Aigis…"_ Minato said, putting his hand on Aigis's chin and forcing her to look up at his face.

"Minato…" Aigis said, before a stumbling Yukari regained her eyesight after getting smoke in her eyes and looked directly at Aigis and Minato.

"Aigis…Minato…hey, what's going on here?" Yukari asked, obviously startled at what Minato was doing.

"_Yukari…you just joined the fun…why, the both of you love me, do you not?"_ Minato asked with a sort of schoolboy grin on his face, sending Yukari fuming.

"Minato, what the hell is this!?"

"_Why, just a little game, my dear…everything here in just a game._"

"What on Earth is that supposed to mean!?" Yukari shouted again, leaving Aigis to slowly back away from Minato. She could sense the spiritual pressure in the air building, probably as a direct result on Yukari's anger.

"_All I want to know is who loves me more. That's all…"_

"MI – NA – TO!" Yukari shouted each syllable of his name before bearing her bow on him. But as she released her grip from the arrow, he disappeared into the darkness harbored by the Dark Hour…

As Minato descended from the second observation deck of the tower with the aid of his two personae and Nyx, they heard slight shouts and screams on the ground.

"Geez…all that noise they're making…you think everyone is okay?"

"_Minato, I am sure everyone is fine. Especially since…wait…wasn't that Yukari's voice just now?"_

From the air, they could hear Yukari shouting Minato's name at the top of her lungs, before they heard a something cut through the air with such force that it sent spirit pressure whizzing by their heads a few hundred feet above the ground.

"_She seems pissed."_

"I'm in for hell when we land, aren't I?" Minato asked, forcing Orpheus and the Messiah to nod their heads to the affirmative. The dropped him once he was a few feet from the ground, into the center of the impact crater where the Reaper had landed. The Reaper's body, however, was gone and a small pillar of smoke was rising from the ground where his body was supposed to be.

"_We love you, Minato. Just like a family…"_ he could hear from apparently nowhere in particular. Turning around, he could see Yukari and Aigis standing side by side, arms around each other.

"_We love you, Minato…_" the two girls said seductively, walking over to him slowly.

"_Yes Minato, we love you _very_ much…"_ said Mitsuru and Fuuka, coming out from above the rim of the crater. Mitsuru was carrying Fuuka in her arms and Fuuka had her arms wrapped around Mitsuru's neck.

"_Come Minato…we want you…forever_!"

"Chihiro! Yuko! W – what the?" Minato shouted when Chihiro and Yuko walked down into the crater from the street. The girls surrounded him, and through the gaps in the circle they made, Minato could see the familiar faces of people like Hidetoshi, Kazushi, and Kenji.

"_That's right Minato…just sit back and follow Death's embrace…"_ the girls said simultaneously. Some of them were kissing and groping each other, while the rest were beginning to hug him.

"What in the…" Minato could feel his consciousness drifting away. Through his closing eyelids, he could see Nyx get thrown aback as a ball of fire hit him from the ring of the crater.

"_Now…go to sleep…and never awake again…"_ Yukari whispered into his ear as he closed his eyes and as Orpheus and the Messiah vanished back into his soul…

??

Minato was floating through space and time, watching the centuries pass by in the void of space. Unlike his time in the Heavens, there were no stars. No magnificent supernovas or angels to entertain him. No, there was pure darkness in this expanse of space and in the blink of an eye Minato witnessed Man's creation and The Fall. Both were beautiful in their execution…their _perfection_…

Mankind would die someday. He would die beautifully and in a grandiose manner that would rival his creation. But man would not die _today_. And Minato would learn why soon enough as he could see other people in the distance. They were his fellow S.E.E.S. members, and they were all converging on one central location in space.

"Oi! Minato! I think we're dreamin' or something!" Junpei shouted through the void as they began to drift closer to one another. Another voice, however, corrected Junpei's statement for him.

"_You are wrong…all of you are currently deceased,"_ a female voice said, prompting startled responses from them all.

"Dead, what do you mean _dead!?_" Yukari shouted into nowhere, before the various members of S.E.E.S. were close enough to touch each other and they all hit an invisible wall in space.

"Ow!" Fuuka yelped, before another voice broke through the void.

"_We apologize, but let us introduce ourselves first…"_

Suddenly, the "wall" in front of them lit up to reveal a clear glass box entrapping three beautiful women inside. They wore Roman stolas and were each examining three different spheres…the first sphere was a white ball and the third sphere was a black one…the middle sphere, however, was a perfect replica of the Earth, with such detail that it even had its own visible weather systems.

"Who are you?" Minato asked the women. The woman in the middle threw her long, brown hair back before answering him.

"We_ are known to you mortals as The Fates…and _you_ still have a job to finish…"_

"What do you mean?" asked Mitsuru, pushing Minato aside and taking over the conversation herself.

"_You know...it really is a shame to be immortal…to a be deity of this universe…for an infinite numbers of eons we have been trying to delegate the responsibility of fate to other, mortal beings so that we may finally put ourselves to rest…"_

The Fate of Life, the woman wielding the white ball, spoke up next, _"But it was very hard to do this…sometimes we even considered it impossible, and so, in order to solve our dilemma, we delegated our powers into one almighty God…"_

The Fate of Death took over the conversation from here, _"But that _bastard!_ It occurred to us that collectively, we know how to end our tragic fate of immortality, but alone, we cannot accomplish this…God created Mankind and all the evil beings in your universe to delegate the powers of Fate to you, so that he could end his life…but us…we cannot truly die until Humanity is able to control its own fate directly…"_

The Fate of Eternity then took over her original role, she let the globe free for a moment and simply let it spin, before recapturing it and continuing the conversation, _"Unless Mankind is able to defeat the Evil in this universe by itself…we cannot die. And if we cannot die, then Mankind can never truly control its fate. That is where _you people_ come in."_

"Us? What do-" Mitsuru was cut off by the Fate of Life, who spun her ball in the air as well.

"_You people are able to transcend this universe and call upon the powers of another. You people are our best hope at death…our reprieve from eternal life. This is our request...no, our _demand_…in exchange for your lives, you all agree to terminate the Horseman of Death: the Reaper! Kill him and bring us one step closer to death!"_

"The Horseman of…"

"_All shall be explained in due time…the Harbinger is waiting for you back on Earth…now, do you want to be brought back to life, or not?"_

"Hell yes I do! I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't plan on getting killed _another_ God damn time!" Shinjiro yelled, before pressing his face to the glass and yelling at the women inside.

"Hey, immortal _hags_! Tell me how to get back down to Earth!"

"_Why don't you see for yourself…after all, Earth _is_ right here."_ The Fate of Eternity released Earth beyond the glass boundary and allowed them all to look in awe at their planet.

"_Take a good look…it's the only home you'll ever have in this universe, I've already guaranteed that so you humans won't shirk on your responsibilities to us deities…now…just think of the location you'd like to visit and touch the globe…"_

"Just think, huh?" Junpei asked. He touched the globe instantly. As soon as he did, he vanished from the sight of everyone around him.

"How can we trust you!?" Akihiko asked them roughly, before the Fates all pointed at the Earth.

"_Because…once we die, that thing is your responsibility, and so far we've kept it pretty good condition…"_

"Good point," Akihiko said, before Minato took command of S.E.E.S. once again.

"Great…okay, is everyone ready?" he asked. Stupid question, as everyone merely looked at him with a blank expression on their faces.

"Okay…on the count of three: one…two…"

And on the count of three, they all disappeared back to Earth, while the Fate of Eternity brought the globe back to her possession.

"_You think they'll really set us free?"_ the Fate of Life asked, before the Fate of Death chuckled and spun her little black ball in the air.

"_The Orbs do not lie…they will win…and we shall be set free."_


	38. The Horseman of Death

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus…and…Oh my God. It's almost time to end the story, isn't it?

**Chapter XXXVII: The Horseman of Death**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…only with strength can one endure suffering and torment_

When S.E.E.S. made it back down to Earth, they saw three things: it was still the Dark Hour, all of their friends were gathered around Tokyo Tower, and Ryoji was busy fighting all of them at once.

"_The Reaper's final form…the Horseman of Death: Humanity." _Nyx shouted at them all when they emerged seemingly out of nowhere. Before, S.E.E.S. didn't know what was going on, but now they knew for sure. Each of their "friends" down there were simply incarnations of the Reaper. They were not actually human, but instead the Reaper was using their identities to manipulate the hearts of S.E.E.S.

It was only too bad that The Fates were on S.E.E.S.'s side.

"_Back from the dead so soon? I guess the Fates have rejected my rebellion…"_ the demon Yukari said, looking the real Yukari straight in the eye as she emerged back into the dimension. _"Nevertheless, it is my duty as the Horseman of Death to kill every last one of you…and so I shall!"_

Instantly, the demon forms of S.E.E.S.'s various friends began to attack each other wildly, with only a select few actually attacking S.E.E.S. itself. It was mostly the demon forms of themselves that S.E.E.S. began to fight against, sparking a confusing and overwhelming confrontation.

"_Die!"_ the demon Mitsuru shouted as she swung her sword down on her mortal counterpart. Mitsuru blocked it by using her own sword before leaping backwards to face her "shadow".

Mitsuru began to pant as soon as she landed on the ground. The Reaper, even divided into a hundred different forms, was apparently more powerful than anyone in S.E.E.S. had predicted. When Mitsuru got up to stand, she found herself having to duck down on the ground once again as Akihiko was being thrown around by his shadow self.

The two shadows of Mitsuru and Akihiko merely looked at each other and nodded their heads in disappointment.

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk. And here we thought that S.E.E.S. could put up a better fight than this…"_

"_Indeed, it is a disappointment that such strong and able members of the 'glorious' S.E.E.S. aren't able to put up more of a fight, it is truly a heresy – now then, I believe it is time for you to-"_

"Take this!" shouted Aigis as she threw her shadow form into the ground, making an impact with both the shadow Mitsuru and Akihiko. Again, the air was filled with smoke and haze as the three shadows began to rustle around before getting back up and walking through the smoke. Some slight scratches could be seen on their faces, but the three shadows remained virtually unharmed.

"_Is that all you got!? Is it!?"_ the shadow Aigis shouted towards the real one, before leaping back into the sky and tackling her in mid-air, punching Aigis in her midsection until finally kicking her into the base of Tokyo Tower.

Meanwhile, just around one of Tokyo Tower's supporting legs; Junpei and Yukari were fighting for their lives against their shadow counterparts. Yukari was trying her best to keep her shadow self at bay with her bow and arrows, but to no avail – her shadow self simply dodged them, smiling all the while. It was a game to her shadow self. Personas were incredible weapons of power and symbols of mental strength, but what was the use of a persona if one could not summon it?

Junpei, on the other hand, was another story altogether. He _had_ his evoker in his hands currently, the only problem was, apparently, so did his shadow self.

"_Can you do it? Can you pull that trigger before I do? Can you _really_ control Trismegistus better than I can? Let's see, shall we?"_

"No!" Junpei shouted as he pulled the trigger to his evoker, roughly at the same time as his shadow self. Trismegistus leapt forth from Junpei's forehead and sat in the air in between the two Junpei's, waiting for orders from its master.

"_I come to serve. Give me my orders, my Lord."_ Trismegistus said, looking at Junpei.

Junpei held his forehead in pain with his free hand, before pointing his evoker at his shadow self and giving Trismegistus his orders in a pant, "kill him!"

"_Understood."_ The persona said as it jumped into the air, ready to perform an agidyne attack on the shadow Junpei, before it suddenly stopped and looked at its target.

"_Master?"_

"_You will not attack your master! You will do no such thing!"_ the shadow Junpei shouted, causing Trismegistus to stand down and slowly descend from its spot in the air.

"What're ya' doin' Trismegistus!? Get him! Now!"

"_Oh, I believe Trismegistus won't be doing that…you see, you and your persona are merely two representations of the same coin. Your organization claims that your personae are the dualities to your souls…no. No! _I_ am! My true form is the evil of humanity. The nascent hatred that lies within your heart is manifested within me as an alternate personality to yours. Yes – yes, _I_ am you. I represent your _true_ self. I represent your_ humanity_, unaltered by the false façade you humans know as 'society.'"_

Junpei could feel a lump gathering in his throat as his shadow self kept talking, eventually materializing an apple from out of nowhere and devouring it in a single bite.

"_Ah! Scrumptious! Now, if only you damn children will stop blindly following what the Fates decide for you and embrace the New World!"_

The shadow Junpei clapped his hands together before summoning an inter-dimensional portal next to him, eventually pulling out the Blade of Kusanagi – the same sword that Junpei was supposed to be wielding.

"_Now will be the Day of Reckoning! The moment of Salvation is upon you, and I have come to –"_

The shadow Junpei took an explosive shell straight to the face as Aigis leapt from building to building, trying to help her friends as best as she could without getting caught by her shadow self. Her final destination would be Minato, who she could see was on the second observation deck of Tokyo Tower, levitating in the air with his shadow self and apparently doing nothing.

But her final destination didn't matter much to Aigis right now, as her shadow self appeared from an alley and caught her off guard to tackle her into the pavement below, sending a cloud of dust everywhere in the middle of Shinjiro and Fuuka's battle…

"Bastard! I'll kill you and all you're little friends here!" Shinjiro shouted while getting into a fighting position. Fuuka stood behind him, evoker in hand, ready to prop up a wall of energy at any moment to protect them both.

The shadow Shinji simply stood on a bench, waiting for them to make the first move. He looked uninterested – a stark contrast to the angry and ready human Shinjiro.

"Diiieee!" Shinjiro yelled as he ran towards his shadow self on the bench, hot blood rushing through his veins. His shadow self stood without flinching, before slowly lifting his right arm up from his side and emitting a bright blue bolt of energy that hit Shinjiro straight in the chest, sending him flying backwards. Were it not for Fuuka and her ability to slow him down to an eventually stop using her persona, Shinjiro would have collided with a building at over seventy kilometers an hour.

"_A real shame. I was hoping you would die so I could get this over with._" The shadow Shinji said without any real regard for the two humans he was fighting.

"Pft. Say all you want. You're all talk!" Shinjiro answered in an angry tone as he was put down on the ground by Fuuka. This wasn't supposed to be happening. He was supposed to be winning against this demon and saving Fuuka's life, not the other way around. But as both of them already knew, this was no ordinary battle, and they wouldn't win as easily as their earlier fights.

The shadow Fuuka floated in, her red eyes gleaming with disrespect for her human counterpart as she wrapped her arms around the shadow Shinjiro.

"_Of course, if we killed them now, we won't have any fun…isn't that right, dear?"_ the shadow Fuuka leaned down and kissed the shadow Shinjiro on the cheek, to the mild shock of the two humans directly across from them. The shadow Shinjiro waived off his counterpart of Fuuka before returning to face the two humans.

"_That's right. You better hope that you can pull that off again, because you're in for a whole load of pain if you can't…"_ he said as he raised both of his arms and aimed them directly at Shinjiro. Fuuka did her best to erect an energy barrier in between them, but by the time the blast hit the barrier, nobody could tell whether or not it had worked from the size of the explosion.

S.E.E.S. was fighting its final battle against evil – and it was losing. From the second observation deck of Tokyo Tower, both Minato's could see the battles raging below. They could see Akihiko and Mitsuru holding on for dear life against the relentless attacks of their counterparts. They could see Yukari running and taking cover against the seemingly endless stream of arrows from her shadow self. They could see Junpei slowly losing control of his persona, and thus, his own identity. They could see Aigis jumping around nearby buildings engaged in a firefight with the shadow Aigis; both Koromarus strapped to their chests and throwing fireballs into random directions in the sky. And they could see Shinjiro and Fuuka making a last stand against their enemies: a bloodied Fuuka supporting an unconscious Shinjiro. This was how the world would end: not with a bang, but a whimper. A whimper that was violently forced through upon the whim of a demon who had defied Fate itself.

No.

The world would not end tonight, not on Minato's watch, at least.

With Nyx levitating behind him, Minato was the first engage in dialogue.

"So…what is it that you want here?" he asked reluctantly, almost assured of the answer he would get.

"_What I want? Why, that's an easy question…you have the answer yourself. I seek to liberate this world – to set it free from its own self-destruction. I wish to transform it to a world where only demons will have purpose. A world that does not distinguish between good and evil; moral or immoral. The very same world that your God sought all those millennia ago."_ The shadow Minato answered, looking down upon Tokyo and closing his eyes.

"_Don't you think this world has deserved its liberation?"_

"I think the world's deserved a second chance. I believe in the future: that we humans can change ourselves and our world for the better."

"_And in the eighty or so years that you will live, you expect to accomplish this? Before Earth existed God, and before God, the Fates. You are forever trapped within their grasp. Forever tangled in their mercy. What you hope to accomplish is impossible, a mere distraction in a delusional world."_ The shadow Minato said in a hushed tone before raising his arms to the sky, his jet black skin blending in well with the night.

"You know what they say about the impossible," Minato said in the same hushed tone as he began to pull Yukari's evoker from his jacket, simultaneously using his other hand to call Nyx forth from the expanse of sky beyond Tokyo Tower.

"_The final battle to decide the fate of the world? Are you sure you're up to this,_ boy!?_"_ the shadow Minato said, grinning while pulling his own evoker out of his jacket.

"Considering I have the Fates watching over me and you don't…yes," Minato said as he raised the evoker up to his head pulling the trigger as he ordered Nyx to attack his shadow self from across the platform. Nyx did so, swinging his mighty sword down upon the shadow form of Minato just as the Messiah came in and blocked the attack with one of his arms.

"_You shall not harm my Master."_

"_Messiah! What is this? Move, now! Upon my authority in the Valley of the Kings, I order you to attack that shadow!" _Nyx shouted as sparks of spiritual energy flew from the two of them; the shadow Minato stood there in mid-air, grinning from ear to ear.

"_You, Nyx, apparently do not know that your authority in the Valley of the Kings means nothing to these shadows – personas have the power of free will – and can be manipulated as such. Only _he_ can exercise your "Godly" authority over them now…of course, so can I!"_ he pointed at the human Minato, who stood in the air, stunned that the Messiah would defect to the Reaper's side so easily, before noticing that Orpheus was hovering above him, looking down on them all.

"_My Lord, what is it that you have me do?"_ Orpheus asked, seemingly oblivious to the Messiah's deeds.

Minato blinked a little, completely stunned at Orpheus's complete apparent oblivious nature to the entire situation. He looked at the Messiah, who had backed off from Nyx and was now hovering over the shadow Minato as if he was its real master.

"_Hm? What's this? A single persona I cannot control…don't tell me – the Fool Arcanum?"_ the shadow Minato looked in awe at Orpheus for a moment, before breaking into complete laughter. _"You expect to beat me with a persona of the Fool Arcanum!? Hah! Oh, this – this is too funny, I'm sorry, can we postpone our battle, hah!"_ A quick punch from Nyx into the shadow's stomach sent him flying towards the moon, before the Messiah teleported behind him and caught 

the shadow Minato. Blood trickled down from the shadow's mouth, which he wiped off with the back of his hand, before looking back at Nyx.

"_I guess my fun is over, then? You really should _ not_ have done that,"_ the shadow Minato said before disappearing with the Messiah into the night. Nyx and Minato kept a steady look out for the shadow, before Minato spotted his hand slowly emerge from a portal behind Nyx.

"Look out! Ryoji!" he yelled, but to no avail. A blue flame shot out from the shadows, cutting through the demon as though he weren't there. Nyx began to lose his grip on his sword, slowly falling to the ground before completely losing the power to levitate.

Shock and fear welled up in Minato as he saw Nyx hit the ground, sending a plume of smoke and dust up towards the tower, forcing the shadow to come out and look. But this time, the Reaper did not take on the visage of Minato. Instead, it was the shadow Kenji that appeared and looked down upon the impact crater that Nyx left behind.

"_Too bad, Minato. He could've been a good friend to you – like me!"_

Another voice appeared out of nowhere, before Minato turned around and found Kazushi limping towards him from the edge of the observation deck.

"_Yeah! We're your _pals_ Minato, won't you come hang out with us?"_ the shadow Kazushi said, only, he wasn't a shadow anymore. The black skin began to fade and the reddish-yellow eyes began to turn white. More and more of Minato's shadow friends began to appear around him, slowly becoming human in their appearance.

The shadow Yukari even appeared out from a portal behind him and embraced him from behind.

"_Come back, Minato – we miss you."_

"Augh…Orpheus...agidyne!"

"_Yes, Master!"_ rising from inactivity, Orpheus spun in the air and produced an agidyne attack that sent all of his shadow friends flying back, including the shadow Yukari.

"Stay! Away! From! Me!" he shouted through pants, looking into the sky where the Messiah was holding position.

"Why have you betrayed me, Messiah! Why have you gone to help these demons! Why are you bringing about the end of the world!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, making sure the Messiah heard him loud and clear.

"_Because the world is in no more need for a Messiah, Master. You know what you have to do. I am merely acting as your deepest desires wish. Those which have manifested themselves into your shadow heart I have merely been acting upon."_

Minato nodded and turned to Orpheus, who also nodded. Turning back towards the Messiah, Minato nearly jumped back when Igor appeared in his face, Elizabeth in tow.

"You know what you have to do, my boy! You know what must be done in order to save this world and act an agent of salvation! Elizabeth and I shall be going soon, and you shall not see us for quite a time, but here's my card, just in case."

For the first time since they met, Minato could see a smile form on Igor's face. Not merely a stupid grin, but a genuine smile. Igor extended his arm, holding what appeared to be a business card in his hand. Amidst the darkness of the night and the howls of the shadows around them, Minato took the card. Instantly, it transformed into a persona card, bearing a familiar white wolf on it.

"Igor…this is-"

Igor shut him up before he could finish by putting his hands up.

"I know, my boy. I know. Now, go on your true path and liberate the world! Fulfill your _destiny_!"

A portal appeared behind Igor and he let go of Elizabeth for just a moment so that she could say her goodbyes. She placed her left hand on Minato's cheek before coming in close to Minato's ear.

"We'll be watching over the world until you're in need again, so don't worry!" she whispered, before scurrying back towards Igor. Looking back over her shoulder as she walked through the portal with Igor, she could see Minato smiling, before turning around to face the shadows square in the eye and put his evoker to his head. Just before the two of them left this dimension, she saw a brilliant white wolf come out of Minato's forehead as he pulled the trigger to his evoker.

Right now, it was 25:59. The final minute of Earth's final hour. Some called it the "Dark Hour", not only because of its unparalleled blackness of the night, but because of the pure evil that inhabited its depths.

But as Elizabeth saw. As all the members of S.E.E.S. knew as they tilted their bloody heads towards the sky towards Tokyo Tower: they knew tomorrow would be a bright new day.


	39. Closing Act

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus. Period.

**Chapter XXXVIII: Closing Act**

_The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…in the face of disaster lies opportunity for renewal_

The white wolf of the World Arcanum attacked the Messiah by jumping upon his back, instantly ripping apart the Messiah's single wing with a violent bite and a swift slash from one of its paws.

"_Gah!"_ the Messiah screamed in pain, gripping his wing and trying to remove the wolf from his back.

"_By my authority in the Valley of the Kings, you _will_ cease helping this rebellion!"_ the wolf said, bearing its fangs at the Messiah. When the Messiah did not back down, the wolf overturned one of its paws to reveal a tattoo in the shape of a globe.

"_Y – you're of the World Arcanum!?"_ the Messiah asked, startled, before the wolf barked at him in the affirmative.

"_The one arcanum entrusted by the Fates to rule over everything. Now, end this!"_ the wolf said to him through a growl. There was a pause, and after a moment of apprehension where Minato didn't know which decision the Messiah would make, he made his choice.

"_Very well. By your authority in the Valley of the Kings, I shall return to my place within my Master's mind."_ The Messiah said, gripping his bloodied wing as hard as he could while he floated down to Minato – the human one.

"_Be wary, for the true self of my master is manifested in that beast. Rest assured, he seeks the end of the world and won't be stopped because of the wolf's authority. No. You will have to slay the beast to end this rebellion."_ Minato shivered a little, and with those words, the Messiah made his way back into the sea of Minato's soul by descending back into Minato's forehead.

The world turned white, and before Minato knew it, the Messiah was gone, leaving only Orpheus and the white wolf behind. Two personae of the Fool and the World Arcanum, alongside the Death Arcanum, they were referred as the Three Arcanum that were never meant to be.

The shadow Minato appeared just over the edge of the observation deck now. He was the only one who wasn't turning human in appearance, instead drawing spiritual energy from the other shadows in the area to create a visible, dark aura around his body.

"_So, I see now that the threat you pose to me is serious. I offer the world liberation – I stand for a future not rules by the Fates! I seek to liberate you filthy humans from the your bastardized existence, and this is what you give me!? Rebellion!? Tell me – tell me why you humans value these delusions that you can overturn the Fates by yourselves? Tell me how beings that are so weak and powerless, to the point of being incapable of accessing different dimensions…tell me what motivates you to carry forward in your pathetic struggle."_

The shadow Minato stared at his human counterpart for quite a time. Long enough for the white wolf of the World Arcanum to rip his spine out of his neck several times over, but Minato's deepest desires stayed the wolf from attacking just yet.

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Minato looked his shadow self straight in the eye. Despite being surrounded by dozens of screaming shadows, all having their spiritual energy sucked from them every second, there was a kind of special quiet peace in the air before Minato spoke.

"We carry on because we have no choice. We've been endowed by our creator to control our universe – for better or for worse. If you destroy it now, you'll only create a universe that is incapable of liberating _itself. _That is the vision we fight for."

"_A noble cause and yet, a delusional dream at the same time,"_ the shadow Minato cocked his head to the side before spitting an unholy mixture of blood and acid to the ground. _"Fine. If you refuse to take part in the Liberation, then I shall set you free."_

Instantly, as Minato's shadow self snapped his fingers, the shadows around them began to slowly morph into exact replicas of his human friends.

"Orpheus, Wolf, attack!"

"_As you command!"_ the wolf barked, leaping from his position in the air to strike at the shadow Minato. The mighty wolf raised his paw to strike the shadow in the face, before hitting a large energy barrier put up by the shadow. All it needed to do was lift a single finger and a secondary strike, an agidyne attack from Orpheus, was deflected into the sky.

"_You shouldn't have crossed me, boy. Welcome to Shadow Time!"_

Minato raised his evoker to his head to call forth another persona, before a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind.

It was Kenji, looking directly at Minato's face, nodding his head in the negative position.

"Don't do it, man. We need you around…"

"Get off me!" Minato yelled, pushing the shadow Kenji to the ground. If it even _was_ a shadow anymore. Pale skin, white eyes, it looked no more different than an ordinary human, but the heart of evil was still there, somewhere.

From the distance, on the other side of the observation platform, Chihiro and Yuko were protesting against Minato's actions.

"Minato, what do you think you're doing!?" Chihiro yelled.

"Yeah! Keep your hands off of him!"

"Having trouble keeping the ladies on your side? I should've figured this would happen, you were never the ladies man _I_ was, Minato, you know that?" a voice called out from behind Minato. He turned around, angry that another one of his friends' images would be manipulated to serve the Reaper, but as the Fates would have it, Ryoji was levitating in the air a few meters away from the observation deck.

In his human form, Ryoji's yellow scarf blew in the wind. The smile on his face, though, was apparent even though his mouth was hidden.

"You ready to do this? You know, save the world, get the girl, the whole deal," Ryoji asked, pointing at the white wolf and Orpheus with one hand and pointing at Minato's shadow self with the other. "Oh, and Yukari told me you couldn't say no to that question, so you'll have to call me forth with your evoker."

A grin formed on the two boys' faces that linked them both with the past. If history had taught them anything, it was that it repeated itself often, and that was a good enough omen for Minato as he put his evoker to his skull and pulled the trigger.

"Nyx!"

Nearly instantly, Ryoji burst into millions of black spirit particles as his spiritual energy slowly reformed until the silhouette of the hulky, black winged figure of Nyx could be seen against the moon.

"_I've been waiting for this, Reaper. The Unification of the Three Arcanum that were never meant to be."_ Ryoji said, taking his sword and holding it across his chest, parallel to the ground, he ran his free hand over its edge, examining it.

Orpheus and the Wolf looked on at Nyx as he continued speaker towards the Reaper. His mentality breaking down, one could see the black flailing arms of a shadow coming out of the shadow Minato's back.

"_You know who originally owned this sword, don't you? You know why I could not kill you before this moment. You knew, didn't you? Of course you had to. You've had thousands upon thousands of millennia to plan this rebellion. But the one thing you never counted on…was _them_."_ Nyx pointed at Minato with his free hand before making a sweeping motion down towards the ground.

"_You never counted in any of your equations the sheer might of their power. You knew that humans with the ability to cross dimensions would arrive to set you free one day…but you never _

_knew they would wield the power of those dimensions. Such a massive flaw in your plan blinded you to another realization: that only those destined to save the world from impending destruction are gifted at birth with the Fool's Arcanum. That those of the Fool Arcanum can also wield personae of the World Arcanum…and to top it all off, with the power of friendship in my heart, I, a demon of the Death Arcanum have also joined their ranks…"_

"_Screw you! You think you can play games with me!?"_ the Reaper shouted as it's appearance began to break down into an unrecognizable black mess before forming into the shape of a skeleton. _"_This_ is my true form, and mind you, I don't care how powerful that mortal is, because every mortal has their price in this life _and_ the next!"_

The Reaper snapped his bony fingers and instantly lifted the shadow Yukari into the air. With his other hand, the Reaper turned his palm towards the shadow Yukari, before closing it into a fist. Immediately, the shadow Yukari began to gasp for air and clutch her throat.

"_Now then,_ boy_, even though she is but a shadow, these puppets of mine are all based off of their human counterparts, meaning that she _will_ feel this pain and she _will_ retain the memories of you letting her _die_!" Can you handle that, boy? Can you handle watching your lover die!? Can you!?"_the Reaper shouted, looking rapidly at Minato and his personae.

Minato wouldn't have paid any attention to that threat had it not been for a scream a few hundred meters below them, before he could hear the voices of his various friends shouting _her_ name.

"_Of course, you attack me, and she just might end up dying after all. If you save her…I don't know what would become of your other friends."_ The Reaper pointed at the other various shadows on the platform: Kenji. Kazushi. Hidetoshi and Chihiro. All of the friends he had acquired over the past two years were staring him in the eye, waiting for him to make his move.

"_Or you could leave me alone and let the Dark Hour fester on forever so that I may devour the souls of humanity in order to gain the power necessary to kill the Fates. It really _is_ your call."_

Minato looked at the shadow Yukari for a few fleeting moments, still able to hear the clamor on the ground. He looked at his shadow friends. Were they really there? Was it all just some hallucination drawn up by the Reaper?

He felt his legs shaking, sweat starting to form on the tip of his chin and on his forehead. His heart slowly began beating faster and faster, before a voice called his name from seemingly nowhere. He looked around to find the culprit, before finding that the white wolf was looking at him – no, _staring_ at him through its amber eyes.

"_Minato, don't be alarmed. As your persona, I can communicate with you through your mind. And because I'm technically a duel-personality of you, the Reaper can't listen in on our conversation…now, what is it you would have Orpheus and I do?"_

Minato couldn't believe it. He thought it was another one of the Reaper's tricks, before the wolf answered that for him.

"_No, Minato. This conversation is real – I can also see your thoughts, by the way. Simply think of a plan and Orpheus and I shall carry it out."_

All of this was extremely confusing to Minato, but he decided to think up of a plan anyway, never drawing his gaze away from the white wolf.

He wanted the wolf to rescue the shadow Yukari while Orpheus protected the other shadows from the Reaper by surrounding him with an agidyne attack amplified by a Holy Seal from the wolf. Nyx would have to wait until after this was done in order to participate in the battle.

For a few moments, there was nothing. Nothing except the grin of the Reaper's skull and the shouts of S.E.E.S. from below. Minato hung his head, closing his eyes, and began reflecting on all the moments that brought him happiness in his life. From the dinners he used to have with his parents to the way Yukari said "I love you". Things he would never again witness.

An explosion!?

The air thundered around him as a brilliant red-orange flame shot up around the Reaper followed by a pillar of light from the Heavens, while the white wolf held the shadow Yukari in his jaw via her collar.

"_Master, it is done."_ Orpheus said, just as the Reaper dispelled the beam of light and broke through the barrier of flame.

"_You think something like_ that_ can stop me!? Do you!? I'm insulted beyond disgust! You die here!"_ the Reaper shouted, raising his hands up towards the sky, he began collecting all the spiritual energy that was trapped within his dark aura, forcing it into a small black ball.

"_Die, _boy!_"_

"Wolf! Orpheus! Fuse your powers with Nyx _now_!" Minato shouted as he began sprinting to the inside of the observation deck.

Orpheus and the wolf nodded their heads, turning to Nyx, who still bore his sword across his chest.

_Spirits of Light and Dark_

_Spirits of Good and Evil_

_Spirits of Life and Death_

_In the Holy Name of Salvation_

_We ask the rulers of this Universe_

_For the Will to Power_

_Power of Mercy_

_Power of Knowledge_

_Power of Justice_

_Power of Faith_

_Power of Strength_

_Power of Prosperity_

_Power of Free Will_

_Focus thine Energies upon this Land_

_Focus your wrath upon this Being_

_Focus your love upon us All_

_In the sacred name of all things Eternal_

_We seek an the means to an end_

_For this endless night!_

All of a sudden, Nyx's blade transformed into a shaft of light enveloped in flame, all the while maintaining a dark aura around it comparable to that of the Reaper.

"_Goodbye Reaper. Send my regards to your brethren in Hell."_

The Reaper released the ball of dark energy just as Nyx began to charge at him, forcing the two powerful weapons to collide with each other and create an explosion of such magnitude that it damaged the tower next to them, just before the world was forced out of the darkness as the moon turned white…

ONE WEEK LATER

HAGAKURE RESTAURANT,

IWATODAI

"Kanpai!" they all shouted, thrusting their glasses into the air with such force that some of their drinks almost spilled out of their glasses.

No one else was in the restaurant, courtesy of the Kirijo family, so S.E.E.S. had the entire place to themselves. They all sat around a large table. As expected, Akihiko and Mitsuru sat next to each other, as did Chidori and Junpei as well as Minato and Yukari. What was surprising to everyone else was that: so were Shinjiro and Fuuka, who were so close that it almost put Junpei and Chidori to shame.

Aigis reluctantly sat next to Ryoji – and was surprisingly enjoying conversation with such a well-versed individual as him, even if he was a pervert. Ken sat on a corner, next to Fuuka, silently feeding scraps of his food to Koromaru under the table.

Rounding it off at the ends were Takehiro Kirijo and President Tanaka, who were eyeing each other with a slight disdain.

"Tanaka." Takehiro said. Venom in his voice.

"Kirijo." Tanaka replied, equally hateful.

"Hey, calm down you two!" Fuuka scolded, getting laughs from the rest of the table.

"Yeah! Anyway, there's too much going on for you two to be fighting right now, right?" Akihiko said, turning his head towards Mitsuru while he said it.

Mitsuru coughed a little, before replying in the affirmative. She looked as though she were about to say something before Yukari used one of her utensils to tap her glass and stand up.

"Guys, I'd just like to say…the last two years have been _really_ great and…well – well I hope we can all still be friends after this! And I love you all, to varying degrees, but I think of you guys as my family now, and I hope you do too!" Yukari announced this all while blushing. Afterwards, she quickly sat down and sighed a little to relieve her tension. The female members of S.E.E.S. clapped a little after her speech and the male members couldn't help but smile.

Mitsuru was about to speak up again before Junpei stood up.

"Well, can't say I can top Yuka-tan's speech over there, but…I'm really glad I met you guys. I'm really glad I met Chidori…and, I gotta' say – even though these last two years have been crazy, it's all been worth it!"

As Junpei sat down, there was more clapping.

"Aw Junpei. Turning into a sap?" Akihiko joked, sending Junpei into a laugh.

"Heh, you wish macho man. Hey Minato, why don't you give a speech?" Junpei asked, chugging on his cielo mist.

"Yes! That would be splendid!" Aigis said, allowing Ryoji to make the biggest smile out of the whole group.

"Well, looks like you have no choice in the matter! Speech!" Ryoji began to chant 'speech', before all the male members of S.E.E.S. took on before long and were banging on the table for Minato to stand up and give one. He eventually yielded after about ten rounds of 'speech' and when Yukari came closer to him to whisper something in his ear.

"Well…can't really say I've been with you guys for two years," Minato said shyly to a few laughs as he rubbed the back of his neck, "but the time we've all spent together is priceless. And I wouldn't want to lose those memories for the world…you guys…We've been through so much together and now I wonder how we ever dealt with any of the crazy things in our lives without each other…so, here's to S.E.E.S.!" Minato said as he raised his glass of cielo mist into the air, prompting a second kanpai and forcing Koromaru to come out from under the table barking and waving his tail happily.

After Minato sat down, Mitsuru finally got up, slowly bringing her head from side to side to look at each of her friends at least once.

"Yes…to S.E.E.S. A – about that…Now that we don't have much of a mission, my father and I have been considering officially disbanding the organization. Nyx no longer poses a threat, the 

Dark Hour is gone for good, and we have no one to fight and, more importantly, no reason to. How about we let go of the past and forge on with our new lives with our memories as our guide," she said. The smiles and laughter of a few moments ago were replaced by a somber silence, before Shinjiro raised his glass and took off his cap.

"I'm all for it. Ever since that incident three years ago I've been trying to forget…trying to live a normal life. I wasn't happy, but I wasn't afraid either. A fresh start at life is exactly what we need…what we all need. That's what we fought for, and that's what we're going to do."

Even though they didn't want to admit it, what Shinjiro and Mitsuru said was true. They had fought for the free will to live their lives. Shinjiro and Minato had even given their lives for this moment, and now they would all be free.

All the members of S.E.E.S., even Koromaru, were silent for a few moments, before Mitsuru spoke up again.

"So, we're all agreed then? S.E.E.S. shall be disbanded tomorrow at noon?"

"Tomorrow. The anniversary of when this all started, huh? Well, I guess-"

Suddenly the door to the restaurant busted open, revealing the various old classmates of S.E.E.S.

"No!" Kenji shouted as he burst through the door with Kazushi, along with several other familiar faces.From Natsuki to the girl, Maiko, and especially Hidetoshi and Chihiro. Even the members of Yukari's old archery team were there.

"You guys risked your lives to save the freakin' world! You know how cool that is!? Me and Kaz here would like to apply for this!"

"W – what's going on here?" Mitsuru asked, before Hidetoshi stopped her from standing and explained it all.

"We were all just sleeping when all of a sudden this…_demon_ thing brought us to the top of Tokyo Tower. For some reason we didn't feel like ourselves but we all saw each other on the top of that place. We _saw_ you guys battling those demons...because, for some reason, we _were_ the demons."

Chihiro tapped Hidetoshi's arm before continuing for him, "we knew we weren't hallucinating, either because, for some odd reason, seeing you guys battling evil…it just felt so_ familiar_ it was just…we knew what we saw. I contacted Hidetoshi as soon as I woke up and he tracked down everyone else we saw that day…they're all here now."

"So what d'ya say, will you take us?" Kazushi asked, bowing his head as low as he could.

Mitsuru looked at them all with both pride and sorrow, before nodding her head in the negative and standing up with her palms out.

"We're sorry…but, we just voted to disband our organization, I'm afraid-"

"No we didn't!" Chidori said forcefully, shooting up from her chair.

"Yeah, we never agreed to disband S.E.E.S.!" Fuuka said, looking over at Chidori before nodding to her. "I'm not resigning from S.E.E.S.!"

"Neither am I! I may not have the dear memories that you all hold, but I don't believe going our separate ways is appropriate. Not yet!" Chidori said.

"Now wait a minute you two! Just wait, things are too complicated to-"

Mitsuru tried to talk Chidori and Fuuka out of their decisions, but her own father cut her off.

"Why don't we compromise? In exchange for the _choice_ to live one's own life, S.E.E.S. will become a full-time, _paid_, all-volunteer force of paranormal police, just like the Vatican!"

"Father, shouldn't you consider these things more carefully!?"

Takehiro Kirijo completely disregarded his daughter's comments and got up out of his chair to face the new prospective S.E.E.S. members.

"This job will require you to defend the world against paranormal attacks – both big and small – and will require you to be at the very best of your physical and mental abilities at all times. It will require you to perform acts of enormous self-sacrifice with almost little to no recognition for your efforts and it will require you to give up your life. Whatever you want to be in life, whatever you want to do, it will all be impossible if you join. Are you all fine with that?"

Takehiro Kirijo blinked. In the time that it took him to blink, he had expected at least a few members of this delegation to fall out of line and exit the restaurant. Not so. Every friend that S.E.E.S. had gotten into a block formation before the table and simultaneously saluted, clicking their heels together in perfect union.

If it weren't for the stupid grins on Kazushi and Kenji's faces, they _might_ have looked deadlier than the current members of S.E.E.S.

Now, as the new S.E.E.S. members stood in formation, jaws dropped and eyes swiveled to look at Minato, who was currently busy finishing the last of his cielo mist. As soon as he downed it and slammed it down on the table, he reached over his chair to look at the man behind the counter.

"Get me a beer, it's going to be a long night."

"Sure thing pal!" the man shouted, running back into the kitchen before Minato turned around towards the new recruits.

"Well…since you guys _are_ here and I can't really imagine life outside of S.E.E.S. anymore…I'm in."

What used to be a disciplined formation broke down into elated celebrations as the second batch of S.E.E.S. members threw their arms up into the air and began hugging each other before Junpei stood up to join them.

"Well…since my buddy here was never really all that great with the ladies, I guess I'll have to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble along the way. Yuka-tan, you better be thanking me for this!"

Junpei used his elbow to nudge Akihiko's shoulder, forcing the boxing champ to look over at him while he was smiling and twitching his eyebrows.

"You know what, I'd better help Junpei with that task. You never know what crazy stuff they could get into!" Akihiko said, standing up and putting his arm around Junpei. The mere _thought_ of those two alone with Minato was enough to compel Yukari to stand up and eventually admit defeat.

"I guess I'd better head along too if I don't want you guys to turn Minato-kun into some senseless pervert," she sighed, looking over at Mitsuru, forcing her to do the same.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…Akihiko, if you do _anything_, I really _will_ execute you…"

"Then it is settled, then! S.E.E.S. is back!" Aigis announced as she stood up from her seat, looking over at Ken and Ryoji.

"Hey, I'm just a kid…but…I guess I'll come along for this crazy adventure, too!" Ken shouted, stuffing his face full with another helping of sushi.

Aigis turned her gaze to Ryoji, holding out her hand for him to stand up as well.

"Well…I don't think I can _fully_ join, seeing as my true nature _is_ demonic…but I don't think it'll hurt to help you guys out from time to time," Ryoji said, putting his arm around Aigis looking at Minato. "Besides, it can't hurt my chances with the ladies, can it?"

"Yeah man!" Junpei said, sticking his palm out to give Ryoji a high-five.

"Man…I can't believe this shit…I guess I'll stay, too, seeing as you bastards haven't given me much of a choice," Shinjiro said, clearly pissed off. As soon as the waiter returned to hand Minato a can of beer, Shinjiro turned to him. "Hey, man. Do you have some more of that stuff?"

"Sure thing, hold on!" the waiter said, running back into the kitchen, slightly scared from all the noise that they were making out in the main dining area.

"To think that you'd die saving the world and come back with five of our friends only to save it again, huh?" Yukari said to Minato over her shoulder, bringing her face closer to Minato's in order to give him a quick peck on the lips, before Takehiro threw his arms up in the air and stood up so fast that it knocked his seat over.

"What's wrong, father?" Mitsuru asked.

"That's right! There were six of us that came back down to Earth from the Heavens! Minato, Ryoji, Shinjiro, Chidori, and myself! But that's only five, so where's-"

The door to Hagakure opened once again, prompting all of those who were inside it to immediately look to whoever opened it.

In the doorway stood a middle-aged man who looked severely disheveled. He wore a suit that looked dirty and apparently hadn't shaved nor showered in days – if not weeks.

The waiter came back from the kitchen to hand Shinjiro his beer, before looking at the man, his face instantly welling up with disgust.

"Go home, you creepy bum! I've told you hundreds of times that I don't know where your daughter is!"

"Please, just…she used to come here with her school friend-"

"Go home or I'm calling the cops!"

"Please, anyone…can you tell me where my daughter is, her name is – wait…I remember you from somewhere…it was something really fast and you were right next to me!" the man pointed at Takehiro Kirijo before looking around the table. "And you! And you and you!" What the-" the man said as he pointed to Chidori and Minato, tears welling up in his eyes. "Who are you people!"

"Wait a minute, I remember you, too…" Minato said, slowly standing up. "What's your daughter's name. Maybe we can help you find her."

"Oh, it doesn't matter anymore!" the man shouted as he limped over to Shinjiro's seat and picked up his can of beer for his own consumption. "I visited my old house…my wife's left me. My daughter's disappeared…what's in life for me anymore?" He asked to apparently no one in particular, just rambling on about his misery.

"Just…what's her name?" Minato asked again, a little more forcefully. Yukari was hiding just behind him.

"Takeba. Yukari Takeba," the man sniffed, tears flowing down his right cheek in a small stream. From that point on, almost everyone in the room, including the cynical Tanaka, ceased almost every action as Yukari slowly stood up from behind Minato.

"Dad!?" she cried out. She couldn't believe it. In her last photo of him, he looked so neat, so tidy, so handsome. How could he have come to this state? She felt ashamed that she hadn't recognized him through the dirt and grime, but it didn't matter as she quickly made her way from Minato's side to her father,

"Who are y – Yu – Yuka-chan!? The man looked up at Yukari, quickly rummaging in his pockets for something, before pulling out a picture of Yukari when she was eight years old. "Oh my – Yuka-chan!" the man shouted as he hugged Yukari, looking over at everyone by the table.

"I'm not an idiot…something…something _happened_ to me…I've seen the calendars and the news…it says it's 2011 right now…which means you've all got a lot to tell me, especially you, Yukari." The man said as he let Yukari go from his embrace and held her shoulders a bit more, before Minato walked up to him. Behind him was a wall of smiles, and before him was a wall of happiness.

"Don't worry, Takeba-san, we have a lot of stories to tell," Minato said as he came up and put his arms around both father and daughter, before looking over at Yukari. "So, you and me, theme park, one week?"

Yukari smiled a little while trying to hold back tears, "Heh. I can't believe you actually remembered," she said, coming in closer to him before she kissed him directly in front of her father's face. He could've sworn that he'd never allow her to do something like that until she was married, but right now, as all of S.E.E.S. was clapping in elation and Takehiro was ordering beers for everyone – even Ken and Koromaru. As the world kept on spinning because of their actions in Tokyo, Mr. Takeba couldn't care less.

The sun began to set outside, slowly stopping the illumination of the world for a few hours. But as it hit the horizon and the sunshine disappeared, Mr. Takeba couldn't help but feel as if he'd finally seen the light.


	40. Epilogue

Shin Megami Tensei

Persona 3: RES

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3, SMT, or any characters within. They belong to Atlus. End of story.

**Epilogue**

_The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate…entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yet, The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed…beyond the beaten path lies the absolute End…it matters not who you are. Death awaits you_

Mitsuru Kirijo eventually became Mitsuru Sanada on July 9, 2016. On that same day, she also officially assumed the position of Director of S.E.E.S., effectively becoming one of the most powerful people on the planet, comparable to the Pope.

Akihiko Sanada refused to accept a desk job at S.E.E.S. and, albeit repeated warnings by his wife not to do so, he eventually accepted a field commander position within S.E.E.S.

Ken Amada is currently attending Gekkoukan High School as a senior. Like his superiors before him, he is expected to be the Class of 2017 valedictorian. He is an active member of S.E.E.S., and acts as the Chief Librarian of the organization, collecting and analyzing data and dispersing it to the various S.E.E.S. squads around the world.

Fuuka and Shinjiro began dating a year after the events at the Lake of Fire. Although they eventually broke up on June 9, 2015, they are both high ranking officials in S.E.E.S. Fuuka is the Chief Analytical Officer and directs the main spy arm of the agency. Shinjiro is the commandant of Nippon Defense Grid (a paranormal defense perimeter that has effectively ceased supernatural activities within Japan; making it the third nation to rid itself of paranormal evil.)

Junpei Iori and Chidori married little over six months after the events at the Lake of Fire. Although Junpei remains a combat soldier in S.E.E.S., Chidori officially retired from the organization on September 1, 2014, so that she may devote her full time and attention to their two children: Takaya and Jin Iori.

Nobody has seen Koromaru since the Lake of Fire Incident. Although S.E.E.S. intelligence has some clues that he may be somewhere in Alaska acting as a sled-racing dog.

Takaya's body was never recovered. Although he is presumed dead, S.E.E.S. remains on high alert to this day.

S.E.E.S. was taken off the terror alert list of every nation in the world – including the UN – after the Lake of Fire incident. All documents pertaining to S.E.E.S. were eventually destroyed. The L.O.S.T. was blamed for everything, including the destruction of Tokyo Tower at the end of the Lake of Fire incident, and was officially disbanded on April 7, 2011.

Takehiro Kirijo settled his differences with President Tanaka. The two of them now compete with each other to see who can give the most money to S.E.E.S. every year (although they do take their fight to the golf course every once in a while).

Aigis currently heads the S.E.E.S. Research Division, making S.E.E.S. one of the most technologically advanced paranormal organizations in the world. It is rumored that her latest project is to turn robots into "real humans."

Ryoji slipped back into the darkness of the universe one day. No one really knew why, but before he left, he had told Aigis that he wanted to "break the tragic cycle of the Arcanum."

As for Minato and Yukari…the two of them disappeared together on December 31, 2015. Although no one has _officially_ seen them, rumors occasionally reach S.E.E.S. of a Japanese couple in the Philippines helping out with paranormal affairs. Minato was awarded every honor S.E.E.S. had to bestow and Yukari was also given the position of Chief Medical Officer in S.E.E.S. once Chidori had retired. Although they have disappeared, Yukari still collects her S.E.E.S. paychecks…

Yukari's father disappeared as well. S.E.E.S. satellites haven't found him yet, but every once in a while, S.E.E.S. receives a major tip from a man calling himself "The Bridge Man."…

_FROM: Outpost Rome_

_TO: HQ Yakushima_

_Cc:_

_Outpost Athens_

_Outpost Chernobyl_

_Outpost New York_

_SUBJECT: Transylvania Affair_

_As I am sure we are all aware, the Vatican has avoided the Transylvania region of Romania for over five centuries – and for good reason! Preliminary investigation of the region shows extremely high and abnormal paranormal energies. Some of our equipment had gone on the fritz during our investigation…we apologize, but Outpost Rome must also include in this e-mail a request for new spirit spectrometers._

_But I digress from the main issue at hand here: based upon the evidence gathered via our monitoring equipment in addition to the testimony of various locals, it can be CONFIRMED that extreme paranormal activity is going on in the Transylvania region that would require the mobilization of an S.E.V. (Specialized Execution Vector)._

_Not only this, but recent records from local paranormal police organizations indicate a massive spike in paranormal activity within the last six years. Whether or not this is linked to the incident six years ago is up for you folks at HQ to decide. _

_As per S.E.E.S. protocol, we have wiped the memories of any non-ParaPol civilians._

_We would also like to volunteer the services of Outpost Rome's S.E.V. in this operation instead of having a unit sent all the way from Yakushima. It could be an invaluable training exercise for the rookies as well as a chance to decentralize execution of duty within S.E.E.S. as per our Convention of Hokkaido of 2015._

_Should the operation be given the green-light, we would also like to know whether or not we will be receiving any official support from Bucharest for this operation. _

_Thank You for your time._

_Commandant of Outpost Rome,_

_Akihiko Sanada._

_P.S. I have sent this e-mail to Outposts Chernobyl, Athens, and New York for the reasons being that known vectors of Transylvanian descent have very recently travelled to your regions of the world. I recommend doing a clean sweep of your entire regions, just to be sure…_

_P.P.S. Don't worry Mitsuru, I'm doing fine._

X years since the Lake of Fire Incident…

S.E.E.S.

Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (2005-2010)

Special Extracurricular Execute Sector (2011-present)

Budget: 89,780,900,000

Employees: 71,952

Major Engagements:

-Tartarus Campaign

-Lake of Fire Incident

-Hunting the Four Horseman

Outposts: 231

Operating in: 104 countries, 5 continents

Motto:

_Dum Vivimus Servimus _(entire organization)

_Malum Quo Communius Eo Peius_ (civil branch)

_Manu Militari _(military branch)

"_Our lives are determined by our cursed legacy…_

_But that does not mean we should give up hope"_

-Mitsuru Kirijo

_Fin._


End file.
